Implement IAM in 5 Easy Steps for Enhanced Security

Almost all organizations are shifting towards cloud-based services.

Securing such a vast, technology-driven services require a robust system like Identity and Access Management (IAM)…

… to secure employees’ identity, access and organizational resources from cyber threats.

Now, let’s discuss the steps that an organization can follow to implement IAM easily.

Steps to Implement Identity & Access Management:

Top leaders and executive heads, who are responsible for IAM implementation must consider the following steps –

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Step #1. Assess Your Current Application Technology Landscape:

The very first step that you can take is to review the different technological landscapes and the information technology environment the organization is currently having.

To understand that, take an inventory of details of your current devices, infrastructure, networks, policies, and other regulations and ask yourself some specific questions like –

1) What type of apps do your employees use?

2) Which employees and groups require authentication to access organizational resources?

3) What is the overall internal architecture and network infrastructure of your organization?

Step #2. Pick The Right IAM Solution That Suits Your Requirement:

Evaluating the right IAM is another critical factor that organizations should consider before opting for an IAM solution.

Factors like security, compliance, cloud or on-premise, authentication mechanisms like password-based, passwordless, risk-based, MFA, social login, phone login, etc., will come into concern while choosing the right IAM solution.

Some well-known IAM products that organizations can opt for are Auth0, SailPoint, and Okta etc.

Step #3. Define a Strategy for End to End IAM Solution:

It is essential to define a strategy while incorporating IAM.

Make sure it reduces the attack vectors and attack surfaces while enabling multiple layers of security.

Having a strategy and vision in the CISOs/CIOs mind is the most effective step in implementing IAM in the organization’s ecosystem.

Implementing IAM with proper strategy also requires dedicated stakeholders’ ideas & employees’ support to make the IAM program fully functional.

Here is a list of strategies that security officers should plan while integrating IAM into the corporate ecosystem.

1) Determine business goals and figure out where IAM is required

2) Determine a Cloud Vendor Onboarding Certification Policy (CVOC)

3) Define a deployment plan

Gather all the requirements and prerequisites for IAM
Also, determine the dependencies required for implementing IAM
Set milestones
Set up all security metrics and policies
Figure out the timeline required to set up and train the employees to start leveraging it

4) Set proper plan for post IAM implementation steps

Step #4. Plan for Seamless Implementation:

The essential factor for a successful IAM implementation comprises of engaging the employees and users early and training them to use the IAM with multi-factor authentication.

Apart from enabling multi-factor authentication, IAMs also allow employees to leverage single sign-on, social login, phone-based login, smart login, and biometric login that the organization should enable.

Most IAM solutions come with AI and ML that can intelligently detect external and internal threats and safeguard organization resources from threats.

Security officers and top-level executives should use these IAM features strategically to extract the most out of these security solutions.

Step #5. Continually Refine The IAM Solution:

The momentum that gets started with the IAM implementation towards securing the organizational resources and managing the identities effectively, should not pause or terminate once implemented.

For this, the organization needs periodic drills and tests of the entire IAM solution that is implemented.

The IAM vendor should also need a patch management plan along with other updates as and when required.

It is also essential to ensure that the IAM sticks to all the compliance guidelines & latest industry-standard compliance policies that get released in the market.

A successful IAM program is the one that adapts to industry transformation and stakeholders’ stances.

Conclusion:

Extending your organization’s infrastructure to an IAM-based infrastructure does not require extensive rip-and-replace activity.

IAM service providers can assist you in implementing the right IAM solution in your existing IT infrastructure.

We hope these 5 steps will help you to get an overall idea of how to implement identity and access management.

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