IAM Program Operational Maturity Assessment

Is your IAM Program Set for Success?

Our IAM Maturity self-assessment tool can help evaluate your current program and identify key areas for improvement depending on where you are on your IAM journey.

Gain a clear picture of your organization's identity security strengths and weaknesses within 4 key assessment areas.
Uncover hidden risks before they become costly problems.
Receive a customized report with your maturity scoring and actionable insights to fortify your IAM strategy depending on your program's maturity level.
Benchmark your program against industry best practices.

Whether you're updating, migrating, or designing your IAM program for the first time, this assessment provides valuable insights so you can prepare for the future today.

Overall IAM Posture and Resources

Is your organization's overall IAM posture, including policies, procedures, and governance well-documented?

IAM strategy is basic and informal

IAM strategy is developing, some areas defined

IAM strategy is siloed and fragmented, with inconsistent adoption and inconsistent adherence to existing policies and procedures

IAM strategy is well-defined and documented

IAM strategy is comprehensive, regularly reviewed, and communicated

How confident are you that your current IAM setup meets all necessary security and compliance & regulatory standards?

Not confident, significant gaps exist

Some concerns about meeting standards

Moderately confident, some areas need improvement

Confident in meeting most standards

Highly confident in meeting all standards, regular audits conducted

Are you able to accurately predict costs for your IAM security program?

Costs are highly variable and difficult to forecast, leading to frequent budget overruns

We have a general sense of costs, but unexpected expenses occur regularly

Costs are mostly predictable, with occasional unforeseen expenses

We can accurately forecast costs with a high degree of confidence

Costs are very stable and transparent, with minimal variation over time

Detection and Response

Are you using any observability/monitoring tool to detect anomalies across your IAM platform?

We do not currently use any specific tools to monitor our IAM platform for anomalies.

We have some basic monitoring in place, but it's not comprehensive or focused on anomaly detection.

We utilize some tools with basic anomaly detection capabilities for our IAM platform.

We have implemented dedicated observability tools with advanced anomaly detection features for our IAM platform.

We have a comprehensive observability strategy with real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics for our IAM platform.

Are you measuring the average response and resolution time for your IAM Platform?

We do not track response and resolution times for IAM incidents.

We track these metrics informally, but not systematically.

We measure basic response and resolution times for major IAM incidents.

We systematically track and analyze response and resolution times for all IAM incidents.

We actively use response and resolution time data to optimize our IAM processes and improve efficiency.

Do you have solid playbooks to respond to events detected on your monitoring platform?

We do not have formalized playbooks for responding to IAM events.

We handle IAM events on a case-by-case basis without established playbooks.

We have some basic playbooks for common IAM events, but they may not cover all scenarios.

We have detailed playbooks for a wide range of IAM events, including incident response procedures.

We have automated playbooks and response mechanisms for many IAM events, minimizing manual intervention.

Adaptability and Scalability

How many different types of identities are currently managed within your IAM solution?

We manage only one type of identity (e.g., only internal employees).

We manage two types of identities (e.g., internal employees and external users).

We manage three types of identities (e.g., internal, external, and a limited number of machine identities).

We manage a wide range of identity types, including internal, external, and various machine identities.

We manage all major identity types, including internal, external, machine, and customer identities, within our IAM solution.

Do you have the resources to stay current with the latest IAM best practices and evolving security threats?

No dedicated resources for staying current

Limited resources and awareness of best practices

Some efforts to stay informed, occasional training

Dedicated resources for research and training, proactive approach

Continuously updating knowledge and implementing best practices

Does your team have sufficient expertise to manage and improve your IAM systems effectively?

No dedicated team

Limited expertise within the team to implement new feature sets introduced by product vendors

Some dedicated resources with moderate expertise to implement new feature sets introduced by product vendors

A dedicated team with strong expertise to implement new feature sets introduced by product vendors

A highly skilled and experienced IAM team capable of implementing new feature sets introduced by product vendors

Can you easily adapt your IAM systems to accommodate business growth, mergers, or acquisitions?

Very difficult, requires significant manual effort

Challenging to adapt, some disruption expected

Moderately adaptable, some manual adjustments needed

Easily adaptable, minimal disruption

Highly flexible and scalable, designed for growth

Business Continuity and Resilience

Can your current team handle the day-to-day tasks of user provisioning, de-provisioning, and access requests efficiently?

Requests face significant delays and backlogs

Team struggles to keep up with requests

Manages requests with occasional delays

Team handles requests efficiently with minimal delays

Team has highly efficient processes with automated workflows

Are you actively strengthening your system over time (patches, upgrades, etc.) or are you simply keeping the lights on?

Reactive, only addressing issues after they occur

Primarily focused on keeping systems running

Performing regular maintenance with some upgrades

Proactive approach to patching and upgrades

Continuous improvement and optimization of systems

How challenging is it to find and hire qualified cybersecurity professionals within your budget?

Extremely challenging (very difficult to find qualified candidates within budget)

Very challenging (difficult to find qualified candidates within budget)

Moderately challenging (somewhat difficult to find qualified candidates within budget)

Slightly challenging (can find qualified candidates, but budget is a constraint)

Not challenging (can easily find qualified candidates within budget)

How would you rate your organization's ability to retain cybersecurity talent?

We experience significant turnover and struggle to retain talent.

We experience some turnover and have moderate success in retaining talent.

We have average retention rates for cybersecurity talent.

We are generally successful at retaining cybersecurity talent.

We have very high retention rates and rarely lose cybersecurity talent.

Your IAM Maturity Assessment is Complete!

Have a few more minutes to answer optional questions that assess the technical aspect of your IAM program?

Access Management (AM)

How widely implemented and enforced is multi-factor authentication (MFA) within your organization?

Not Implemented: MFA is not used for any users or systems.

Limited Implementation: MFA is used for a small number of users or systems (e.g., only administrators or for accessing highly sensitive data).

Partial Implementation: MFA is used for some users and systems, but not consistently enforced across the organization.

Extensive Implementation: MFA is implemented for most users and systems, with a few exceptions.

Full Implementation: MFA is required for all users and for accessing all systems and applications.

Have you implemented single sign-on (SSO) to improve user experience and security?

No SSO implemented: We do not currently utilize single sign-on.

Basic SSO within our organization: We use SSO for internal applications, but not across different domains.

SSO with limited external access: We have SSO for some external applications, but with limited cross-domain functionality.

SSO with federated identity: We use SSO across different domains through federated identity management (e.g., using SAML).

Advanced SSO with OAuth 2.0: We leverage SSO across multiple domains with advanced protocols like OAuth 2.0 for secure and granular access control.

Are your identities stored in a single directory or distributed throughout the organization?

Identities are stored in multiple directories

Some consolidation efforts underway

Partially consolidated directory

Mostly consolidated into a single directory

Fully consolidated with centralized management

Do you use risk-based authentication to adjust security measures dynamically based on user context or behavior?

Not implemented

Considering risk-based authentication

Piloting risk-based authentication

Implemented for some high-risk scenarios

Fully implemented with adaptive authentication

Are your current user authentication methods for applications and systems taking advantage of the best tools and technology?

Basic passwords only

Passwords with some basic security (e.g., length requirements)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for some users/systems

MFA for all users and strong password policies

Advanced authentication methods (e.g., passwordless, adaptive MFA, biometrics) and centralized identity management

Do you have the means to effectively control user authorization to resources and data?

No formal authorization controls, open access

Basic access controls (e.g., groups, shared accounts)

Role-based access control (RBAC) for some systems

Comprehensive RBAC and attribute-based access control (ABAC)

Fine-grained authorization with dynamic policy enforcement and continuous monitoring

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Is privileged access automatically deprovisioned when an employee leaves the organization or changes roles?

No automated deprovisioning

Limited automated deprovisioning

Deprovisioning for some privileged access

Automated deprovisioning for most privileged access

Immediate and comprehensive automated deprovisioning

Is access to shared and service accounts centrally controlled and secured?

No central control, accounts managed individually

Limited central control, some accounts uncontrolled

Central control for some shared/service accounts

Central control for most shared/service accounts

All shared/service accounts centrally managed and secured

Have you eliminated the use of shared administrative accounts to improve accountability?

Shared accounts widely used

Some efforts to reduce shared accounts

Limited use of shared accounts

Shared accounts mostly eliminated

Shared accounts completely eliminated

Is privileged access managed at a granular level, such as at the command or application level?

No granular control, broad access granted

Limited granular control

Some granular control implemented

Granular control for most privileged access

Comprehensive granular control for all privileged access

Are you actively monitoring privileged user sessions and activities to detect and respond to potential threats?

No active monitoring in place

Limited monitoring capabilities

Monitoring some privileged sessions/commands

Monitoring most privileged sessions/commands

Comprehensive monitoring and real-time alerts

Do you have a secure and centralized vault for managing and protecting privileged credentials (passwords, keys, etc.)?

No centralized vault

Basic password management, no vault

Using a shared document or spreadsheet

Centralized vault with limited access controls

Highly secure, centralized vault with strong access controls and auditing

Do you implement granular access controls and session monitoring for privileged accounts?

No granular control or session monitoring; privileged users have broad, unmonitored access.

Basic controls, such as limiting access to specific servers or applications; some session logging.

Granular control at the command or application level for some privileged accounts; basic session monitoring.

Granular control for most privileged accounts; session recording and analysis for critical systems.

Comprehensive granular control for all privileged access, including just-in-time provisioning and detailed session monitoring with real-time alerts and behavioral analytics.

Is your process for granting, reviewing, and revoking privileged access well-defined and automated?

No formal process, ad-hoc approvals

Manual approvals with limited oversight

Defined approval workflows with some automation

Automated workflows with regular access certifications

Continuous access review and automated policy enforcement

Do you have the resources you need to monitor and audit privileged user activity?

No monitoring or auditing of privileged activity

Basic logging of privileged actions

Session recording for some privileged accounts

Comprehensive session recording and log analysis

Real-time monitoring with alerts for suspicious activity and automated threat response

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

Is your IGA solution fully-integrated with your HR systems for automated user lifecycle management?

No integration, user provisioning/deprovisioning is completely manual.

Minimal integration, some data is manually transferred between HR and IGA systems.

Partial integration, automated provisioning/deprovisioning for some users or systems.

Significant integration, automated user lifecycle management for most users and systems.

Full integration, seamless and real-time synchronization of user data between HR and IGA, including role assignments and access changes based on HR events (e.g., new hires, promotions, terminations).

Do you ensure users have appropriate access based on their roles and responsibilities?

No formal process, access granted manually

Basic role-based access control (RBAC)

RBAC with regular manual reviews

Automated access certifications and policy enforcement

Dynamic access control based on context and risk

Does your system for managing and enforcing access policies and compliance requirements support the principle of segregation of duties (SOD) and continuous monitoring?

We lack a centralized system, and policies are documented manually with no SOD enforcement.

We have basic policy management, but limited enforcement capabilities and no SOD features.

We have a centralized policy repository with some automation, but limited support for SOD.

We have automated policy enforcement and reporting, including features that support SOD.

We have real-time policy enforcement, continuous compliance monitoring, and robust SOD capabilities.

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)

What systems and tools do you use to manage customer identities and access?

No dedicated system, manual processes for identity management

Basic directory or database for customer data, manual access provisioning

Customer identity and access management (CIAM) solution with some integration to existing systems

Comprehensive CIAM platform with advanced features (e.g., single sign-on, self-service portals, API integrations)

Integrated CIAM solution seamlessly integrated with other systems (CRM, ERP, marketing, etc.) for holistic customer identity management

Do you provide customers with self-service capabilities for managing their accounts?

No self-service options, all requests handled manually

Basic self-service for password resets

Self-service for profile updates and account management

Personalized self-service options based on customer preferences

AI-powered self-service with proactive support and guidance

Do you use customer identity data to improve their experience and engagement?

No use of customer identity data

Basic segmentation for marketing campaigns

Personalized content and recommendations

Omnichannel customer journey optimization

Advanced analytics and machine learning for predictive personalization and fraud prevention

Receive your assessment

To receive your assessment please fill the contact form.

Have questions about your report? Contact us today to further discuss how you can strengthen your IAM posture.

IAM Program Operational Maturity Assessment

Overall Low Maturity

Overall IAM Posture & Resources: Low Maturity

Organizations with low IAM maturity often lack a documented IAM strategy or have a strategy that is not well-integrated across the organization. They may have limited IAM expertise and struggle to keep up with day-to-day tasks, leading to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and potential security vulnerabilities. This can hinder their ability to effectively manage user access, protect sensitive data, and meet compliance requirements

Practical Steps to Improve Your Overall IAM strategy

Here are some steps you can take to improve your overall IAM stategy.

Develop a Comprehensive Strategy: Create or refine your IAM strategy to clearly define objectives, governance structure, roles and responsibilities, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Invest in Expertise: Build a dedicated IAM team or provide training and development opportunities to existing staff to enhance their IAM skills and knowledge.
Optimize Operations: Streamline and automate IAM processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual errors. Consider implementing a service catalog for access requests and self-service capabilities for password management.
Assess and Address Gaps: Conduct regular assessments to identify gaps in your IAM program and prioritize improvements based on risk and business impact.
Stay Informed: Keep abreast of industry best practices, emerging threats, and new technologies to ensure your IAM program remains effective and relevant.

Detection and Response: Low Maturity

Organizations with low maturity in this area often have basic or inconsistent access controls and rely on weak authentication methods (e.g., passwords only). This can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and compliance violations. They may struggle to manage access across various systems and lack the ability to enforce least privilege principles.

Practical Steps to Improve Access Control and Authentication

Here are some steps you can take to improve your access control and authentication.

Implement Strong Authentication: Enforce MFA for all users and consider implementing passwordless authentication or adaptive MFA for enhanced security.
Strengthen Access Controls: Implement robust access control models like RBAC or ABAC and enforce least privilege principles to limit user access to only what is necessary.
Centralize Identity Management: Consolidate identity stores and implement a centralized identity and access management (IAM) system for streamlined management and improved security.
Utilize Advanced Features: Explore advanced features like risk-based authentication, just-in-time provisioning, and contextual access control to further enhance security and user experience.
Regularly Review and Update: Conduct periodic access reviews and audits to ensure that access rights are appropriate and up-to-date. Keep your access control policies and procedures aligned with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

Adaptability and Scalability: Low Maturity

Organizations with low maturity in this area often have rigid IAM systems that are difficult to adapt to changing requirements. They may struggle to integrate new applications or accommodate business growth, leading to manual workarounds, security gaps, and operational inefficiencies. They may also fall behind in keeping up to date with the latest security standards.

Practical Steps to Improve Adaptability and Scalability

Here are some steps you can take to improve adaptability and scalability.

Prioritize Flexibility: When selecting IAM solutions, prioritize flexibility and scalability to accommodate future needs.
Cloud-Based Solutions: Consider cloud-based IAM solutions that offer greater scalability and agility compared to on-premises systems.
Standardization: Standardize IAM processes and technologies across the organization to simplify integration and management.
Automation: Automate IAM tasks and workflows to improve efficiency and reduce the impact of changes.
Continuous Learning: Dedicate resources to staying informed about IAM best practices, emerging threats, and new technologies. Engage in continuous learning and improvement.

Business Continuity and Resilience: Low Maturity

Organizations with low maturity in this area often take a reactive approach to maintenance, addressing issues only after they occur. They may lack formal knowledge management processes, leading to knowledge loss when employees leave. This can result in system instability, security gaps, and difficulty in maintaining a consistent IAM program.

Practical Steps to Improve Business Continuity and Resilience

Here are some steps you can take to improve business continuity and resilience.

Proactive Maintenance: Implement a proactive maintenance schedule that includes regular patching, upgrades, and system health checks.
Knowledge Management: Establish a formal knowledge management system to document processes, policies, and configurations. Encourage knowledge sharing through documentation, training, and mentoring programs.
Invest in Talent: Provide opportunities for professional development and career growth to retain skilled IAM staff. Foster a culture of learning and collaboration.
Succession Planning: Develop succession plans to ensure continuity in case of key personnel changes.
Cross-Training: Encourage cross-training among team members to distribute knowledge and reduce reliance on individual expertise.

KeyData Cyber Connect Newsletter

Head Office

150 York St, Suite 1710
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S5

Boston Office

One Boston Place, Suite 2600
Boston, MA 02108 U.S.A

Company

Board of Directors Leadership Team Technology Partners News Careers Contact

Services

Advisory Services Implementation Services Managed Services Training Services

IAM Solutions

CIAM WIAM

Success Stories

Case Study Library Blog Resources Events