Contributed by GCA 

Identity governance programs are designed to ensure least privileged access. Most regulatory compliance entities like PCI and HIPAA specifically include access review controls that need to be met. At scale, this can be a challenge for a variety of reasons. At GCA, we offer a full spectrum of services surrounding these governing controls and in this white paper, we offer deep insight into what it takes to successfully launch an identity governance program.

What is Identity Governance?

Identity governance is relatively straightforward; get the right people to review user access and decide if the access is necessary for the individual to perform their job. If the answer is “yes,” they do need access. If the answer is “no,” the access is removed.

Identity Governance Challenges

The challenge with Identity Governance is not technical—it’s time-based. In the simplest programs, the program manager will be asking hundreds (if not thousands) of people to do additional work. Even if an access review takes only five minutes, that is still five additional minutes being added to already busy schedules. From the start of the project, there will be organizational resistance. It’s natural to put up our guards when more work is being assigned to our plates.

How to Solve Identity Governance Problems

The golden rule in identity governance is to eliminate anything an end-user can complain about. You want to avoid concerns like: Why does this person report to me? I don’t understand what this access grants? How am I supposed to know if this employee needs this application access? I don’t know how to log in. The pages load slowly! This feedback is the enemy of identity governance programs. Each is a small opportunity to complain about the extra work placed on people’s plates. If you can avoid and minimize these types of complaints and questions, your program will be in excellent shape. After all, identity governance is simple and straightforward, as long as IT leaders make it that way.

Read GCA’s full white paper 

About GCA

Founded in 1991, GCA Technology Services (GCA) is a security provider specializing in Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions. They help enterprises enable and secure access to business data by managing their digital identities, and offer a best of breed portfolio of leading IAM vendor partners.

To learn more visit https://gca.net