Best 9 Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) Solutions For Enterprise (2026)
We reviewed the leading IGA platforms on access certification workflow accuracy, the depth of lifecycle management automation, and how well each enforces least privilege across the identity environment.
Written by
Mirren McDade
Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
Quick Summary
Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solutions manage the lifecycle of user access across an organization — from provisioning and certification to deprovisioning — ensuring access rights are accurate, appropriate, and auditable at all times. Access that is not actively governed accumulates into permission sprawl that creates significant breach risk. We reviewed the top platforms and found tenfold, One Identity Manager (IGA Suite), and Broadcom Symantec IGA to be the strongest on access certification workflow accuracy and lifecycle automation depth.
Identity governance and administration (IGA) processes ensure that all operations between people and applications are performed unhindered, remain safely secured against potential threats and comply with policy. They work to manage the digital identities of all users and their access privileges, using features such as:
- Identity lifecycle management
- Entitlement management
- Access requests
- Workflows
- Access certification
- Policy and role management
- Auditing
- Reporting and analytics
Growing digitisation and the rising need for compliance management contribute to the current growth of the identity security landscape. In fact, global identity governance and administration market revenues are on track for strong growth in the coming years.
Organisations are being put under pressure to manage an increasing number of access requests and maintain stringent security, and to achieve this ever more quickly with fewer resources. IGA solutions can help with this by automating compliance and access management decisions, allowing employees to focus their attention on higher priority projects.
In this article we’ll compare the top Identity Governance and Administration solutions. We’ll look at the capabilities of each solution, exploring key features such as lifecycle management, access request certification, and reporting, to help you find the right solution for your organisation.
Best Identity Governance And Administration Solutions Shortlist
1. tenfold — Best for SMBs wanting no-code governance automation
2. One Identity Manager — Best for global enterprises managing complex hybrid environments
3. Broadcom Symantec IGA — Best for large-scale SoD enforcement and compliance automation
4. IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence — Best for organisations invested in IBM infrastructure
5. ManageEngine AD Manager Plus — Best for Active Directory and M365 lifecycle management
6. Oracle Identity Governance — Best for enterprises running Oracle-centric environments
7. Ping Identity Governance — Best for regulated industries needing AI-driven certifications
8. Prove Pinnacle — Best for phone-centric customer identity verification
9. SailPoint Identity — Best for enterprise-scale governance with AI-driven role management
tenfold is a no-code identity governance and administration platform covering the full user lifecycle, from onboarding through offboarding, with self-service access requests and role-based controls across hybrid IT environments. We think it fills a practical gap for mid-market organizations that want governance automation without the consulting-heavy deployments that larger IGA platforms require. More than 1,000 organizations globally use tenfold to manage user permissions and access governance.
tenfold Key Features
The no-code workflow configuration means administrators build governance processes without scripting or custom development. When HR adds a new employee, tenfold automatically provisions accounts and assigns permissions based on department and role; onboarding that would normally take hours completes in seconds. The self-service portal lets managers and end users approve, deny, or request access directly, with full audit trails logged for every decision.
The recertification engine automates periodic access reviews for GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and ISO 27001 compliance. Out-of-the-box plugins for Microsoft 365, Active Directory, SAP ERP, and HCL Notes connect to common enterprise systems, with custom integrations available via REST APIs. A clear reporting dashboard shows department heads exactly which users have access to which systems, helping prevent permissions creep. Minimum licensing is 100 users, scaling up to 7,000+.
Our Take
We think tenfold is a strong option for mid-market organizations that want governance automation without the complexity of larger IGA platforms. The dashboard is clear and easy to use; adding users is straightforward and the platform automates the manual provisioning work that bogs down IT teams. The recertification workflows and compliance reporting address real pain points for organizations facing recurring audits.
Something to be aware of is that the platform’s depth means policy workflows can be complex to configure initially, and some deployments with custom integrations may require more setup time. tenfold is delivered in three editions, Essentials, Essentials 365, and Enterprise, with pricing from around $0.90 to $1.25 per user depending on subscription size. The platform is commonly used in healthcare, manufacturing, and insurance.
Strengths
- No-code workflow configuration keeps setup accessible for non-technical teams
- Automated provisioning turns hours of manual onboarding into seconds
- Self-service portal shifts access decisions away from IT
- Full audit trails and compliance reporting for GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and ISO 27001
- Out-of-the-box plugins for Microsoft 365, Active Directory, SAP ERP, and more
Cautions
- Not suited to organizations under 100 users
- Granular policy management has a learning curve due to platform depth
One Identity Manager is a globally recognized identity governance and administration platform that unifies identity governance, compliance, and auditing across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. The platform is available in 13 languages and is part of the One Identity suite, which covers identity governance, access management, privileged access, and Active Directory management through the One Identity Fabric.
One Identity Manager (IGA Suite) Key Features
One Identity Manager automates identity lifecycle management, streamlining onboarding and offboarding for employees and contractors across 100+ SaaS and on-premises applications. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and predefined policies govern permissions, with access certification workflows for streamlined compliance. A self-service portal and self-registration enable user-driven access requests for resources, groups, and assets. Integrated privileged access management extends governance to sensitive accounts, and audit-ready reports ensure compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and PCI DSS. API integrations support ServiceNow and Okta.
Our Take
We rate One Identity Manager highly for its strong identity lifecycle management and multi-language support, which simplifies access governance for global organizations. The self-service portal for access requests is a strong feature, and the integrated PAM for privileged accounts is good to see. We recommend it for global enterprises looking for a unified IGA solution with strong lifecycle automation and compliance tools for hybrid environments.
Strengths
- Automated identity lifecycle management across 100+ applications
- Self-service portal for user-driven access requests
- Integrated PAM for privileged accounts
- GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and PCI DSS compliance reporting
Cautions
- Pricing not publicly available; requires contacting One Identity for a quote
Broadcom Symantec IGA
Broadcom Symantec IGA handles identity governance and access management for enterprises running hybrid environments. Broadcom acquired CA Technologies in 2018 and Symantec Enterprises in 2019, and the combined IGA products are mature and well-featured. Version 15.0 launched in August 2025 with a new deployment model called IGA Xpress. We think it’s best suited to larger, more complex IGA deployments where strong SoD controls and compliance automation are priorities.
Broadcom Symantec IGA Key Features
The SoD enforcement engine and access risk analyser catch conflicting entitlements before provisioning occurs. Role discovery and certification workflows automate what typically requires manual review cycles. HR integration with systems like Workday and SAP SuccessFactors automates employee and contractor lifecycle end to end. A mobile-optimised self-service portal reduces help desk burden. The products are highly scalable with multiple deployment options, including on-premises and cloud-hosted, and support connectors for a broad set of enterprise applications.
What Customers Say
Users praise the platform for being user-friendly despite its enterprise scope. SSO capabilities get specific mentions for simplifying application access. Auditing and reporting features earn positive marks for compliance preparation. Something to be aware of is that the UI feels dated in places, and platform complexity requires skilled administrators for implementation.
Our Take
We think Broadcom Symantec IGA fits large enterprises managing thousands of identities across hybrid environments that need strong SoD controls and compliance automation. The version 15.0 release with IGA Xpress suggests Broadcom is investing in modernising the deployment experience. If you want a cloud-native, modern UI experience, evaluate alternatives.
Strengths
- SoD enforcement and access risk scoring catch conflicts before provisioning
- HR integration automates employee and contractor lifecycle end to end
- Mobile-optimised self-service portal reduces help desk burden
- Version 15.0 adds IGA Xpress deployment model and TLS 1.3
Cautions
- Reviews note the UI feels dated in places
- Platform complexity requires skilled administrators for implementation
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence is an enterprise IGA suite now part of the IBM Verify portfolio. IBM serves clients in 170 countries, and this is a mature and scalable IGA platform. Note that IBM has rebranded this product: as of version 10.0 it became IBM Security Verify Governance. We think it fits organisations already invested in IBM infrastructure that need governance tightly integrated with QRadar, RACF, and other IBM systems.
IBM Security IGI Key Features
The user lifecycle engine automates provisioning across 100+ applications, including SAP and ServiceNow. Business activity-based SoD enforcement aligns separation controls with actual job functions rather than static role definitions. IBM provides improved insight into how access is being used and prioritises compliance actions with risk-based insights. QRadar UBA integration adds insider threat detection on top of governance workflows. Fine-grained RBAC supports IBM RACF mainframe environments, which is a differentiator for organisations running legacy infrastructure.
What Customers Say
Customer feedback specific to IBM Security IGI is limited in available sources. Broader feedback on IBM’s identity platform suggests setup complexity and learning curves are common challenges. Organisations running IBM infrastructure long-term report strong integration value. Something to be aware of is that appliance-based deployment requires on-premises infrastructure investment.
Our Take
We think IBM Security IGI fits organisations already invested in IBM infrastructure that need governance tightly integrated with QRadar, RACF, and other IBM systems. Note the product has been rebranded to IBM Security Verify Governance; plan accordingly. If you’re not running IBM infrastructure, the integration advantage doesn’t apply and lighter alternatives may serve you better.
Strengths
- Business activity-based SoD aligns separation controls with actual job functions
- Lifecycle automation across 100+ apps including SAP and ServiceNow
- QRadar UBA integration adds insider threat detection
- Fine-grained RBAC for IBM RACF mainframe environments
Cautions
- Appliance-based deployment requires on-premises infrastructure investment
- Reviews note setup complexity demands substantial technical expertise
ManageEngine AD Manager Plus
ManageEngine AD Manager Plus is an identity governance tool for Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace. We think it fills a practical gap: IT teams managing hybrid AD environments often outgrow native tools but don’t need a full enterprise IGA platform.
ManageEngine AD Manager Plus Key Features
CSV-based bulk provisioning creates accounts across AD, Exchange, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace in one upload without switching between consoles. Workflow automation handles group assignments, licence allocation, and mailbox creation during onboarding. Over 200 pre-built reports with customisable dashboards cover compliance, security, and operational metrics. REST API integration with Jira and ServiceDesk Plus lets you trigger account actions from ticketing workflows.
What Customers Say
Organisations running AD Manager Plus long-term point to time savings in bulk operations and daily AD tasks. Compliance reporting gets consistent praise, especially real-time email alerts for user creation and modification events. Something to be aware of is that performance slows in large environments with extensive user bases, and the UI feels dated compared to cloud-native platforms.
Our Take
We think AD Manager Plus fits IT teams managing Active Directory alongside Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace that need better automation than native tools provide. Pricing starts at $495/year for 100 users, which undercuts enterprise IGA platforms significantly. If you need cross-platform governance beyond Microsoft and Google ecosystems, evaluate the fuller IGA platforms on this list.
Strengths
- CSV bulk provisioning works across AD, M365, Exchange, and Google Workspace
- Over 200 pre-built reports with customisable dashboards
- REST API integrates with Jira and ServiceDesk Plus for ticketing workflows
- Pricing starts at $495/year for 100 users
Cautions
- Users report performance slows in large environments with extensive user bases
- Reviews note the UI feels dated compared to cloud-native platforms
Oracle Identity Governance
Oracle Identity Governance automates identity lifecycle management and access controls across hybrid environments. Oracle’s IGA solution includes a business-friendly self-service interface, wizard-based application onboarding, and centralised extensible reporting. Note that Oracle IAM 12c premier support ends in December 2026, with Oracle IAM 14c replacing it. We think it fits large enterprises already invested in Oracle infrastructure or managing thousands of identities across complex hybrid environments.
Oracle Identity Governance Key Features
Oracle Identity Role Intelligence uses AI and machine learning to automate role publishing, continuously optimise role-based access controls, and reduce manual role engineering. Risk-driven certifications focus review cycles on the access most likely to violate policy. Docker and Kubernetes support enables rapid scaling. Oracle Identity Governance incorporates leading industry standards including SCIM/REST, and integrates natively with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
What Customers Say
Users highlight smooth application integration capabilities, particularly within Oracle environments. Teams praise Oracle’s support for critical P1 issues. The common criticism is operational complexity; the platform requires substantial effort to maintain and customise. Something to be aware of is that the 12c to 14c transition requires planning if you’re running older versions.
Our Take
We think Oracle Identity Governance fits large enterprises already invested in Oracle infrastructure. The ML-driven role intelligence is a genuine differentiator for organisations with complex RBAC structures. Note the 12c to 14c transition; if you’re evaluating now, plan the upgrade path before committing. For organisations without Oracle infrastructure, the integration advantage doesn’t apply.
Strengths
- ML-driven role intelligence automates RBAC without constant manual tuning
- Risk-driven certifications focus reviews on high-risk access
- Docker and Kubernetes support enables rapid scaling
- Strong integration with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Cautions
- Reviews note operational complexity requires substantial effort to maintain
- 12c premier support ends December 2026; plan upgrade path to 14c
Ping Identity Governance (Formerly ForgeRock)
Ping Identity Governance is an AI-driven IGA platform focused on automating access approvals and certifications. ForgeRock’s identity governance capabilities merged into Ping Identity following the 2023 acquisition. Ping Identity Governance’s intelligence-based approach gives security and risk professionals the tools to accelerate secure access and achieve regulatory compliance. We think it fits heavily regulated organisations, particularly financial services, managing thousands of identities with complex compliance requirements.
Ping Identity Governance Key Features
The AI engine removes unnecessary roles based on usage patterns, addressing role bloat that accumulates over time. Granular SoD policies enforce separation controls automatically. Real-time identity analytics surface access risks before they become compliance violations. Self-service access request policies work across both SaaS and on-premises applications, reducing IT involvement in routine approvals.
What Customers Say
Most available reviews cover the broader Ping Identity Platform rather than the governance product specifically. Banking and financial services customers praise authentication and authorisation strengths. Something to be aware of is that multiple interfaces across the Ping ecosystem create admin overhead, and customer feedback specific to the governance module is still limited.
Our Take
We think Ping Identity Governance fits heavily regulated organisations managing thousands of identities with complex compliance requirements. The AI-driven certification automation is a genuine differentiator for organisations drowning in manual review cycles. If your governance needs are simpler or you’re running a smaller environment, lighter platforms may serve you better.
Strengths
- AI-driven automation recommends low-risk approvals and flags high-risk access
- Automated role cleanup removes unnecessary permissions based on usage
- Granular SoD policies automate compliance for GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001
- Self-service access policies work across SaaS and on-premises apps
Cautions
- Reviews note multiple interfaces across Ping ecosystem create admin overhead
- Customer feedback specific to the governance module is limited
Prove Pinnacle
Prove Pinnacle uses phone-centric identity verification to automate customer onboarding and fraud prevention. In April 2026, Prove launched the broader Prove Identity Platform, unifying Pinnacle and other products under a single umbrella. We think it fits financial services and e-commerce organisations that need to verify customer identities during onboarding while minimising fraud. This is a customer identity verification tool rather than a workforce IGA platform; it’s included here because it addresses the identity assurance layer that traditional IGA tools assume is already in place.
Prove Pinnacle Key Features
Cryptographic authentication binds SIM cards or FIDO keys to user identities, eliminating passwords. Machine learning analysis of telecom and device signals provides real-time verification without manual document checks. Pass rates run up to 20% higher than traditional risk-based authentication. Fraud prevention capabilities tie phone numbers to physical addresses, adding a layer of identity confidence that document-based verification can’t match.
What Customers Say
Organisations running Prove long-term report minimal outages and strong reliability. Users consistently praise the support team and partnership approach. API documentation and developer support make integration simple for technical teams. Something to be aware of is that certificate changes have caused disruptions to SMS services, and out-of-the-box integrations with identity platforms like Okta are limited.
Our Take
We think Prove Pinnacle fits financial services and e-commerce organisations that need to verify customer identities during onboarding while minimising fraud. The phone-centric approach sidesteps document checks entirely, which speeds up conversion. If you need workforce governance rather than customer identity verification, this isn’t the right tool.
Strengths
- Phone-centric cryptographic authentication eliminates passwords
- Pass rates up to 20% higher than traditional risk-based authentication
- ML-driven telecom signal analysis for real-time verification
- Fraud prevention ties phone numbers to physical addresses
Cautions
- Reviews note certificate changes cause disruptions to SMS services
- Limited out-of-the-box integrations with identity platforms like Okta
SailPoint Identity
SailPoint delivers enterprise identity governance through two platforms: IdentityIQ for on-premises and hybrid deployments, and Identity Security Cloud (formerly IdentityNow) as cloud-native SaaS. SailPoint is a leader in identity security for the modern enterprise, and their platform provides organisations with enterprise-grade identity governance paired with the agility and convenience of cloud delivery. We think it fits large enterprises with dedicated identity teams that need governance automation at scale.
SailPoint Identity Key Features
SailPoint Predictive Identity uses AI to monitor access patterns, suggest role adjustments, and flag anomalous access for review. Automated provisioning and self-service portals simplify onboarding workflows across the identity lifecycle. You can streamline compliance processes via automated access certification, policy management, and audit reporting. File Access Manager governs access to sensitive data stored on file shares and cloud storage alongside identity entitlements.
What Customers Say
Users highlight centralised visibility and audit trails as major strengths. Teams report onboarding 60+ applications and automating lifecycle processes that were previously manual. The approval workflow interface gets consistent praise. Something to be aware of is that hybrid and legacy environment rollouts typically take four to six months, and custom code flexibility creates upgrade challenges when customisations break.
Our Take
We think SailPoint Identity fits large enterprises with dedicated identity teams that need governance automation at scale. The AI-driven capabilities and extensive integration support deliver real value for organisations managing thousands of identities. If you’re a smaller team or want a quicker deployment, evaluate lighter platforms on this list.
Strengths
- AI-driven Predictive Identity monitors access patterns and suggests role adjustments
- Dual deployment options via IdentityIQ on-premises and Identity Security Cloud SaaS
- File Access Manager governs sensitive data across on-premises and cloud
- Extensive app integration through SCIM and REST APIs
Cautions
- Reviews report four to six month rollouts for hybrid and legacy environments
- Custom code flexibility creates upgrade challenges when customisations break
Other Identity And Access Management Services
Other Identity Governance And Administration solutions to consider include:
Zygon delivers a cloud-native Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) platform that automates identity lifecycle management and secures SaaS environments for modern IT and security teams.
How We Compared The Best Identity Governance And Administration Solutions
We evaluated nine IGA platforms through hands-on assessment of deployment workflows, governance automation, lifecycle management, compliance capabilities, and day-to-day usability. Each platform was assessed across identity lifecycle coverage, SoD enforcement, access certification, role management, reporting depth, connector ecosystem, and pricing transparency.
Before testing, we mapped the full vendor market for identity governance, identifying active vendors from enterprise incumbents to emerging challengers. We reviewed analyst reports for market positioning and analysed verified customer reviews for real-world user sentiment.
Beyond hands-on evaluation, we spoke with product teams to understand architecture decisions, governance models, and roadmap priorities. We conducted in-depth market research and reviewed customer feedback, case studies, and operational documentation to understand real-world performance versus marketing claims.
Expert Insights’ editorial and commercial teams operate independently. No vendor can pay to influence the testing, review, or ranking of their products. Our recommendations are based on hands-on evaluation, verified customer feedback, and independent research.
What To Look For In Identity Governance And Administration Solutions
IGA platforms vary significantly in scope, deployment model, and governance depth. These are the areas we think matter most when comparing solutions.
**Identity lifecycle automation** determines how much manual work your IT team carries. Platforms like SailPoint and One Identity Manager automate provisioning across 100+ applications, while ManageEngine AD Manager Plus focuses specifically on Active Directory and Microsoft 365 environments. Match the connector ecosystem to the applications your organisation actually runs.
**Separation of duties (SoD) enforcement** is critical for regulated industries. Broadcom Symantec IGA and IBM Security IGI both offer business activity-based SoD that catches conflicting entitlements before provisioning. Ping Identity Governance automates SoD across GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 frameworks. If your compliance requirements are strict, SoD depth should be a primary evaluation criterion.
**Access certification and review** automation saves the most time for organisations running periodic entitlement reviews. SailPoint’s Predictive Identity and Ping Identity Governance both use AI to recommend low-risk approvals and flag anomalies. Oracle’s risk-driven certifications focus review cycles on the access most likely to violate policy. Manual certification at scale is unsustainable; prioritise platforms that automate this.
**Deployment model** affects timeline and operational overhead. Cloud-native platforms like tenfold and SailPoint Identity Security Cloud deploy faster than on-premises solutions like IBM Security IGI or Oracle Identity Governance. Hybrid options like One Identity Manager and Broadcom suit organisations that can’t move everything to the cloud. Match the deployment model to your infrastructure reality.
Finally, assess **total cost and implementation complexity**. Enterprise IGA platforms like SailPoint and One Identity typically require dedicated identity teams and multi-month rollouts. ManageEngine AD Manager Plus starts at $495/year for 100 users and deploys much faster. tenfold’s free Community Edition lets you evaluate with up to 150 users. Factor implementation time and ongoing administration into the total cost, not just licence fees.
The Bottom Line
IGA is fundamental to managing access, maintaining compliance, and reducing identity-related risk. The right platform depends on your environment complexity, compliance requirements, and how many identities you’re managing. We’d recommend narrowing to two or three platforms based on the reviews above, then running a proof of concept with your actual identity data before committing organisation-wide.
FAQs
Identity Governance And Administration: Everything You Need To Know FAQs
At its essence, identity governance and administration (IGA) is about increasing security and reducing risk by providing visibility into who has access to what systems, resources, applications and why. IGA lays the groundwork for creating and managing the policies, processes, and standards for your organization’s identity management functions.
IGA tools work to simplify and streamline user identity lifecycle management via capabilities like password management, automation, integrations, access request management, provisioning and deprovisioning, detailed event logging and entitlement management. IGA tools work together with IAM tools to make all of this happen seamlessly and gives IT teams the power to manage the technology while business leaders and designated stakeholders are tasked with the responsibility to decide who gets access to what.
Identity governance and administration is a policy-based approach to managing identities and controlling access. Identity governance is about the segregation of duties, role management, analytics, logging and reporting, whereas identity administration deals with account administration, credentials administration, user and device provisioning, and managing elements.
Particularly, IGA solutions provide valuable support in auditing and meeting the requirements for compliance. These solutions enable security administrators to efficiently manage all user identities and access permissions across the whole enterprise. This significantly improves visibility into identities and access privileges across the enterprise and makes it easier to implement the kind of controls that can prevent inappropriate or risky access.
In 2012, Gartner recognized the importance of identity governance and administration when they named it the fastest growing sector of the identity management market. IGA solutions provide added functionality that expands upon the capabilities of traditional identity and access management (IAM) tools, helping to address common IAM challenges. For example, the common IAM issue of inappropriate and/or outdated access to enterprise resources, as well as other challenges including those caused by remote or hybrid workforces, time-consuming provisioning processes, flawed Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, and strict compliance requirements. Each of these issues increases an organization’s security risk, and also weakened their compliance posture. However, such challenges can be addressed by strengthening the organizations IAM systems with IGA, and IGA allows organizations to automate the workflows for access approvals and subsequently reduce risk. They can also define and enforce IAM policies, as well as audit user access processes for compliance reporting. For this reason, many organizations use IGA to meet the compliance requirements laid out by HIPAA, SOX, and PCI DSS.
One of the issues with traditional IGA platforms is the cost, which is often too high for many small to mid-sized enterprises to justify when they likely don’t require the full functionality of these tools. These days the market focus is shifting towards a new model that is flexible enough to suit organizations of a variety of sizes, not just large enterprises. Many vendors are filling this niche with ‘light’ versions of their solutions that either have a less comprehensive scope of capabilities or are simply streamlined to focus on solving a few specific problems faced by smaller enterprises.
With an IGA tool in place, enterprises can accurately and efficiently streamline the process of managing user access, leading to improved security and a smoother operation overall. Specifically, an IGA solution works alongside IAM tools to:
Manage Identity Lifecycles
Identity lifecycle management refers to the several stages in the life of an identity, from onboarding to leaving the organization; one of the most important functions of these solutions is to simplify the process of managing the lifecycle of an identity. Every identity has to be created, maintained over time (with appropriate updates made in the event of a job title change) and removed if the individual decides to leave the organization or retires. For smaller organization’s it may be possible to keep on top of identities manually, but for organizations operating on a larger scale it would not be feasible to manage the numerous additions, subtractions and alterations to identities without any issues or mistakes, so identity governance and administration products work to make this whole process much easier.
Manage Passwords
In today’s digital era the task of managing our passwords has become very complicated, with both the number of passwords each individual uses and the need for complexity and uniqueness increasing all the time. In fact, studies suggest that each of us is juggling around 168 passwords across various sites and services. Strong passwords are important for maintaining security, but it is impossible to create, remember and continually update dozens or even hundreds of passwords, so it is immensely useful that identity governance and administration product can help up manage our many passwords. Through tools like password vaults or Single Sign On (SSO), IGA’s systems ensure users can maintain security and easily access applications without having to remember multiple passwords.
Manage Entitlements
Today’s businesses rely on smooth collaboration, which makes having control over and insight into which users are allowed access to certain applications and systems vital. Entitlement management deals with the association between identities and entitlements; entitlements are assigned to appropriate identities in order to give that identity access to a particular asset or operation. To facilitate users being able to make requests and be subsequently granted or denied access, IGA systems need to know exactly what entitlements (or access permissions) are available to request as well as give security admins the power to specify and verify what users are permitted to do / access. For example, some users may be allowed to add or edit data, while others are only permitted to view data. IGA systems let you to easily add, edit, and delete entitlements and other information used to describe them (like titles, risk level, descriptions, owners, tags, and other identifying data).
Manage Access Request Workflows
A good way to protect sensitive information is to restrict access to it and make it necessary for those without access to request it, thereby narrowing the window for mistakes or malicious misuse and ensuring there is a trail to follow in the event of a breach. A great way to deal with access requests in a quick and secure way is through an IGA solution with the capabilities to manage requests, approvals and fulfillment of access. These solutions route access requests to the right people and keep them organized, simplifying what could potentially be a complicated process with multiple access requests being made regularly and several approvers who need to be reached.
Use Connectors To Read Data And Collect Information
Connectors are simple integrations with other systems which are used by most IGA systems to read and write data from them. IGA systems need a lot of data on your employees (for example, their identities, attributes, and access) in order to work, so they use connectors to collect and read this data. They also write data which manages identity lifecycle events such as creating new users and granting them the correct access for their role.
Provide Automated Provisioning
Identity governance and administration systems can help organizations to automate the process of granting access once an access request has been approved. This first required a connector to be implements and then, with this integration in place, the process of granting access (or provisioning) can be fully automated. For smaller companies this may be unnecessary as if there is a small enough number of employees this can be achieved by one person or people simply keeping on top of the access requests that come in and granting or denying access accordingly. But, for larger organizations, this manual method would be too difficult to sustain.
Perform Access Reviews
Access review (or access certification) refers to the process of reviewing what access rights are currently being granted to determine whether this access is correct and if it should continue of not. A lot of businesses use spreadsheets to keep on top of this, but many IGA systems come with a way to easily perform these access reviews through a user interface, making its easier and quicker to capture, act upon, and archive the results for audit evidence.
Manage Roles
Once roles at your organization are created, they may require continual modifications and updates, including adding and removing users to the roles and altering the forms of access these roles grant them. IGA systems typically offer user interfaces and workflows to make it easier to manage the process of maintaining roles, allowing you to easily keep them up to date and ensure that the access they represent is what users actually need to do their jobs.
Perform Analytics And Reporting
Every day there is a flurry of activity related to identity and access management happening in your organizations systems and users perform a variety of transactions, access information and log into a range of applications. IGA systems with a strong set of features will capture information for different log files and perform analytics and reporting, summarizing and interpreting this activity so you can easily oversee it.
- Reduces friction when providing access to authorized business users. A company’s profits can be hugely impacted by user productivity. Identity governance and administration tools help to ensure that users have access to the systems and applications they need to perform their work duties and remain as productive as possible, even if their roles and responsibilities – and corresponding access privileges – change. IGA solutions maintain secure policy enforcement that adheres to any required compliance regulations, while also reducing the pressure placed on IT teams by automating certain processes like access requests and fulfillments.
- Improves compliance and audit performance. When it comes to compliance and auditing, IGA automation tools are a game changer. These solutions use automated, repeatable processes – like ensuring strict adherence to government privacy regulations or streamlining access certifications – to simplify compliance and always remain audit ready.
- Boost security and reduce risk. An all-too-common threat that companies face is unauthorized and malicious use of credentials. The risk associated with compromised credentials lies in the threat of unauthorized entry being obtained by someone outside of the organization, which is risky in of itself but is magnified further due to the fact that compromised credentials can upend many other traditional risk mitigation procedures put in place by the organization. The centralized visibility features offered by IGA solutions help by combatting the threat of misappropriating access through the detection of risky user population, inappropriate access to entitlements, and policy violations.
- Bring down costs. IGA solutions automate many of the operational processes that keep IT staff occupied, saving precious resource time and money in the process. When redundant administrative tasks like access certification, access requests and provisioning are automated, IT teams are freed up and can take control of their productivity and dedicate their time to higher value work.
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Written By
Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts.
She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts.
Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Technical Review
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davis, formerly J2Global (NASDAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.