How to get started with IAM for your organization?

Identity and Access Management is everything that happens behind a login box. IAM makes sure only the right person accesses the right resources at the right time. As organizations go through digital transformations, applications and resources are moved to the cloud.But to secure your resources and data, the cloud has to be protected.Hence, it becomes essential for organizations to correctly implement IAM solutions.

3 considerations for organizations before implementing an IAM solution:

 

#1: Assess your current IAM situation:

The first step is to review the current structure for gaps within the IAM environment and use this information to model your future requirements.Consider an audit to better understand the costs and benefits of implementing a new IAM solution.Some questions to take into account.

• What applications are users accessing today? Which resources are accessible to which users and groups?
• What ‘Shadow IT’ applications have implementations outside the control of the IT department?
• How are you currently handling employee entitlements and provisioning new user access?
• What is the process for off-boarding former users? how safe is this process?
• What are the current resources implemented for managing user identities and access?

#2: Evaluate the right IAM approach for your organizations:

Having answered all the questions in step one, you will have most of what is required to start researching solutions. Some key considerations taken by us at sennovate to evaluate which IAM approach will benefit your organizations are:

•  Assess what drives organization strategy.
• Provide emphasis on security, productivity, and compliance concerns
• Whether your applications are cloud-based or on-premises deployments.
• Is your application out-of-box ready or custom deployment.
• Consider the cost benefits of applying different solutions including both money and rollout time.

#3.A defined strategy to implement IAM:

Consider these strategies for charting the path of your rollout:

• Directory Integration

Plan the prerequisite exercise of mapping your legacy directory groups and attributes into your new cloud directory and defining new roles and application entitlements.

• Single Sign-On (SSO)

One of the biggest benefits of a good IAM implementation to both users and IT is Single Sign-On. SSO is an authentication scheme that allows a user to log in with a single ID and password to any of several related, yet independent, software systems. A feature that delivers immediate productivity gains. Users should understand SSO and experience the benefits it provides.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is a step-up from SSO in securing the authentication process. Seamless implementation of IAM eases the work involved in implementing MFA. This needs to be implemented at the same time your enterprise implements SSO or to expand the use of multi-factor authentication after the SSO is successfully rolled out. Chose an MFA solution that provides end-to-end encryption from your IAM to the MFA application. End-to-end encryption makes it impossible to perform a re-routing or man-in-the-middle attack.

• Laptop Integration

As enterprises go remote, a large amount of data is being held in user devices connected to various networks. Unfortunately, these devices aren’t subject to the same strict password policies that govern corporate applications. This is a problem when laptops are infiltrated. SSO allows users to log into Windows and Mac laptops using the same credentials. This extends strong password policies to your laptops, and your users willfind it easier having one less password to remember.

• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) Integration

IAM focuses on security at the time of login, while CASBs take care of security after the login. A CASB can detect hijacked accounts and have an IAM solution deactivate the compromised account. CASBs can detect many other types of security issues as well.Conclusion:It is increasingly evident that organizations are putting in more resources into proactively handling security threats. Enterprises need to have a proper plan to implement the correct IAM solution to maximize protection.The three important steps are, assessing your current IAM situation, evaluating the right IAM approach for your organization, and having a defined strategy to implement IAM. Sennovate provides services and helps organizations implement tailored IAM solutions. We guide you through the steps needed to select the right IAM approach for your organization. 

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About Sennovate

Sennovate delivers custom identity and access management solutions to businesses around the world. With global partners and a library of 1000+ integrations, we implement world-class cybersecurity solutions that save your company time and money. We offer a seamless experience with integration across all cloud applications, and a single price for product, implementation, and support. Have questions? The consultation is always free. Email [email protected] or call us at: +1 (925) 918-6618