[{"_id":"684848ce8c47fcc82fccc1e7","title":"The Role of IAM in Canada's Digital Ambition","slug":"the-role-of-iam-in-canadas-digital-ambition","category":"IAM","description":"In 2022, the Government of Canada announced an ambitious plan to redefine its digital future, which is reviewed yearly. This \"Digital Ambition\" aims to provide a seamless, secure, and profoundly citizen-centric online experience, promising greater efficiency, enhanced services, and robust data protection for both public and private sectors. But what does it take to make secure, unified access truly possible?","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"684848ce8c47fcc82fccc1e8"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/the-role-of-iam-in-canadas-digital-ambition.webp","featuredImageAlt":"The Role of IAM in Canada's Digital Ambition","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"The Role of IAM in Canada's Digital Ambition","description":"Learn how Identity and Access Management advances Canada's Digital Ambition with user-centric services, secure data, and adaptable technology for a secure Canada.","ogTitle":"The Role of IAM in Canada's Digital Ambition","ogDescription":"Learn how Identity and Access Management advances Canada's Digital Ambition with user-centric services, secure data, and adaptable technology for a secure Canada.","ogImage":"/images/blog/the-role-of-iam-in-canadas-digital-ambition.webp","_id":"684848ce8c47fcc82fccc1e9"},"data":"

The Role of IAM in Canada’s Digital Ambition

At the heart of every online interaction is Identity and Access Management (IAM), which authenticates who we are, controls what we can access, and safeguards our digital lives. It is the bedrock upon which trust is built in an increasingly interconnected world.

In 2022, the Government of Canada announced an ambitious plan to redefine its digital future,. This "Digital Ambition" aims to provide a seamless, secure, and profoundly citizen-centric online experience, promising greater efficiency, enhanced services, and robust data protection for both public and private sectors. But what does it take to make secure, unified access truly possible?

In this blog, we'll explore the direct alignment between Canada's national digital objectives and the powerful capabilities of modern IAM.

Canada's Digital Ambition

To achieve their Digital Ambition, the Government of Canada has identified four target outcomes, which they will use to measure the effectiveness of their efforts:

Services are user-centric, trusted and accessible
Data and information are foundational to service delivery and informed decision-making
Technology empowers innovation, efficiency and security
The workforce is digitally savvy and adaptable to the digital landscape

Let’s look at how IAM works to help organizations achieve Canada’s digital ambition.

Outcome 1: Services are user-centric, trusted and accessible

Canadian citizens expect convenient and secure digital interactions. This goal means that all government services, whether online or offline, should be designed with the individual Canadian in mind, making them easy to use, inclusive, and available to everyone.

Modern IAM solutions streamline the user experience by enabling single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all government applications, making services easier and more secure for Canadians to access. Robust identity verification ensures only authorized individuals can access specific services and data, building public trust.

Outcome 2: Data and information are foundational to service delivery and informed decision-making

The Government of Canada recognizes that accurate, timely, and well-governed data is essential for understanding citizen needs, measuring program effectiveness, and safeguarding privacy for all Canadians. This goal focuses on treating government data and information as strategic assets, ensuring they are properly managed, utilized, and shared, improving how services are delivered and supporting better policy decisions.

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) capabilities establish a strong framework for managing user access to sensitive government data and information, ensuring need-based access to data and providing comprehensive audit trails and reporting for better compliance, risk management, and decision-making.

Outcome 3: Technology empowers innovation, efficiency and security

Technology is a critical enabler for agile governance, empowering the delivery of more responsive services and protecting against evolving cyber threats. This goal focuses on leveraging modern technologies to enhance the way government operates, driving innovation in public services and bolstering the security of digital systems and data.

Robust Privileged Access Management (PAM) and comprehensive Managed Services proactively secure critical IT infrastructure and the administrative accounts that drive government technology. Controlling and monitoring privileged access with modern IAM is fundamental to fostering a secure, scalable environment for innovation.

Outcome 4: The workforce is digitally savvy and adaptable to the digital landscape

A skilled and adaptable public service is the backbone of successful digital transformation and ensuring that Canada remains competitive in a rapidly changing global digital economy. This goal is about cultivating a government workforce that possesses the necessary digital skills to adapt quickly to new technologies and evolving digital demands.

Comprehensive IAM strategies simplify the management of digital identities for government employees. By providing streamlined, secure access to necessary resources and applications, these capabilities empower a digitally savvy workforce to collaborate effectively and adapt to evolving digital environments.

Securing Canada's Digital Future with IAM Solutions

Achieving Canada's vision for a secure, efficient, and innovative digital future requires a robust IAM security framework. Let’s look at how each tool in the IAM toolbox plays a role in Canada’s digital ambition.

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)

CIAM creates a unified digital identity for customers, enabling seamless and trustworthy online experiences.

Enables easy registration and single sign-on (SSO).
Reduces friction and boosts convenience for users.
Builds public trust in digital interactions.

Workforce Identity and Access Management (WIAM)

Workforce IAM ensures secure and efficient access for an organization's employees, streamlining internal operations.

Automates access provisioning and deprovisioning.
Enforces the principle of least privilege.
Fortifies the security of internal systems and data.

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

IGA maintains control and compliance by automating and overseeing "who has access to what, and why."

Utilizes policies, access reviews, and audit trails for continuous governance.
Ensures adherence to regulations and reduces risk.
Improves transparency in access decisions.

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

PAM specifically secures highly sensitive accounts and systems whose compromise could lead to catastrophic breaches.

Strictly manages and monitors access for administrators and critical users.
Acts as a vital defense against insider threats.
Bolsters overall cybersecurity.

Access Management (AM)

Beyond verifying identity, Access Management controls what authenticated users can do.

Secures access with technologies like Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
Ensures seamless yet secure access to authorized services.
Adapts access decisions based on risk.

Managed Services

Managed IAM services allow organizations to leverage specialized external expertise for complex identity systems.

Offloads operational burdens from internal teams.
Provides access to cutting-edge skills and best practices.
Frees up internal resources for core strategic initiatives.

Identity Security as a Service (ISaaS)

ISaaS provides a comprehensive suite of identity security capabilities via a cloud-based model.

Accelerates the adoption of leading-edge security measures.
Reduces complexity and high capital expenditure.
Enhances security, scalability, and agility.

KeyData Cyber – Your Trusted Partner in Canada's Digital Ambition

Canada's Digital Ambition cannot be fully realized without robust Identity and Access Management. By strategically implementing and integrating identity security measures, Canada can build a secure and compliant digital future that is incredibly efficient, innovative, and deeply trusted by its citizens and organizations alike.

As an experienced IAM solutions integrator with over 20 years of dedicated focus in the field, KeyData Cyber brings a wealth of deep expertise in designing, implementing, and managing complex identity ecosystems. To learn more about how we can help your organization build a truly trusted and innovative digital ecosystem that is secure, scalable, and future-ready, contact us to schedule a comprehensive assessment.

","deletedAt":null,"type":"blog","createdAt":"2025-06-10T15:01:34.185Z","updatedAt":"2025-06-10T15:01:43.525Z","__v":0},{"_id":"6823a4830a47960e8a77a60f","title":"It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know - Identity Vetting in the Age of AI","slug":"its-not-what-you-know-its-who-you-know-identity-vetting-in-the-age-of-ai","category":"IAM","description":"A non-centralized threat group uses stolen identities to get North Koreans hired at tech firms so they can gain access to systems and generate income for the regime. Companies who have fallen prey to this scam have faced costly repercussions. So, if we have known about it for years, how could this still happen?","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"6823a4830a47960e8a77a610"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/its-not-what-you-know-its-who-you-know-identity-vetting-in-the-age-of-ai.webp","featuredImageAlt":"It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know - Identity Vetting in the Age of AI","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know - Identity Vetting in the Age of AI","description":"Who are you really hiring? Learn how identity vetting works, its key benefits (fraud prevention, compliance), and how KeyData Cyber can help.","ogTitle":"It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know - Identity Vetting in the Age of AI","ogDescription":"Who are you really hiring? Learn how identity vetting works, its key benefits (fraud prevention, compliance), and how KeyData Cyber can help.","ogImage":"/images/blog/its-not-what-you-know-its-who-you-know-identity-vetting-in-the-age-of-ai.webp","_id":"6823a4830a47960e8a77a611"},"data":"

It’s Not What you Know, It’s Who You Know - Identity Vetting in the Age of AI

Hired any North Koreans lately? If you have, you’re not alone. In the past few years, thousands of North Korean workers have been hired by prominent companies in the US, from small firms to Fortune 500 companies.

This is not a new problem either. In fact, investigators have found evidence of this operation, dubbed “WageMole”, as far back as 2020. WageMole is widely known to be the work of a non-centralized threat group known as UNC5267, which uses stolen identities to get North Koreans hired at tech firms so they can gain access to systems and generate income for the regime.

Companies who have fallen prey to this scam have faced costly repercussions, as some of these individuals have used their ill-gotten access to infiltrate sensitive data, steal money, and disrupt operations.

So, if we have known about it for years, how could this still happen?

Part of the reason is that the problem has become rapidly worse with the advent of AI technology, which enables attackers to cover more ground in less time. AI tools make it simple to quickly generate false documents and instantly translate communications in real-time.

But what about video interviews, you might ask. Won’t that help us weed out imposters? AI technology also allows the attackers to hide their true identities, with deep fake videos and AI-generated voices designed to mask their faces and accents.

The truth is that in a world of impersonators and deep fake technology, without robust identity vetting you may never really know if that new remote worker or collaborator is, in fact, who they claim to be.

How Does Identity Vetting Work?

Identity vetting offers a way to avoid situations like this, by offering you a way to verify the identity of users BEFORE you give them access. This additional security measure helps you prevent fraud and satisfy compliance mandates like Know Your Customer (KYC) or Anti-Money Laundering (AML).

The identity vetting process is generally made up of four steps: collection of evidence, identity verification, risk assessment, and determination.

The first step involves collecting information. As part of the onboarding process, the person provides their personal information and documentation to establish their identity. The information collected could include name, address, date of birth, documents such as birth certificate, passport, or government-issued identification, and even biometric data such as fingerprints.

Next, the identity information that has been collected has to be verified by trusted sources. This could involve checking the information against records kept by credit agencies, government databases, and biometric matching.

With these results in hand, the next step is to assess the level of fraud risk based on your confidence in the results of your verification. Were there any inconsistencies or unexplained discrepancies?

Finally, it’s time to make a determination to verify the user’s identity, reject it, or elevate it for further review.

Benefits of Identity Vetting

Identity vetting provides protection against imposter threats with multi-layered and technology-driven user verification.

Identity vetting, often referred to as identity verification or proofing, is the process of confirming that an individual is genuinely who they claim to be. It's a critical practice that offers substantial advantages for individuals, enterprises, and the broader digital landscape.

For businesses, key benefits include:

Fraud Prevention: Identity vetting prevents various forms of fraud like stolen identity misuse, new account schemes, hybrid identity fabrication, account compromise, and payment fraud.
Compliance: Vetting new users is essential for helping organizations meet stringent compliance requirements.
Proactive Risk Management: Identity vetting ensures only authorized individuals access sensitive data, enhancing overall security and minimizing financial losses.

How to Implement Identity Vetting

But how can you get there from here? Putting identity vetting into practice isn’t just about flipping a switch. You've got to think about the whole journey your users take and select the right tools for the job. For your organization, hiring an outside firm to do background checks may be the right solution, or maybe you need to go a step further with biometrics and other vetting procedures. And, as always, whatever identity vetting method you choose, you want the solution to be seamless and frictionless for you and the users you are verifying.

Ready to get started? KeyData Cyber's Identity Vetting Assessment is designed to give you a clear picture of where you stand and what steps you can take to strengthen your defenses. Contact us today for a complimentary Identity Vetting Assessment so you can make sure your next hire is the right hire.

","deletedAt":null,"type":"blog","createdAt":"2025-05-13T19:58:59.307Z","updatedAt":"2025-05-13T19:59:54.426Z","__v":0},{"_id":"682224fd9a02e3573beaffa9","title":"Securing Digital Identities at Scale with Custom Identity Workflows","slug":"securing-digital-identities-at-scale-with-custom-identity-workflows","category":"IAM","description":"Think about the different types of identities you manage, including employees, non-employees, customers, vendors, partners, APIs, service account, and IoT devices, just to name a few. The complexity of managing digital identities at scale is arguably one of the biggest hurdles for modern IT leaders. With a host of identities connecting via cloud, on-prem, and machine-to-machine interactions, it can seem impossible to truly get a handle on it all.","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"682224fd9a02e3573beaffaa"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/securing-digital-identities-at-scale-with-custom-identity-workflows.webp","featuredImageAlt":"Securing Digital Identities at Scale with Custom Identity Workflows","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"Securing Digital Identities at Scale with Custom Identity Workflows","description":"Achieve truly scalable identity security. Discover how custom integrations streamline operations, improve UX, and deliver business value by securing diverse identities across complex environments.","ogTitle":"Securing Digital Identities at Scale with Custom Identity Workflows","ogDescription":"Achieve truly scalable identity security. Discover how custom integrations streamline operations, improve UX, and deliver business value by securing diverse identities across complex environments.","ogImage":"/images/blog/securing-digital-identities-at-scale-with-custom-identity-workflows.webp","_id":"682224fd9a02e3573beaffab"},"data":"

Securing Digital Identities at Scale with Custom Identity Workflows

Think about the different types of identities you manage, including employees, non-employees, customers, vendors, partners, APIs, service account, and IoT devices, just to name a few. The complexity of managing digital identities at scale is arguably one of the biggest hurdles for modern IT leaders. With a host of identities connecting via cloud, on-prem, and machine-to-machine interactions, it can seem impossible to truly get a handle on it all.

In this blog we’ll talk about ways to overcome this challenge and share a real-world customer success story about how we helped our client build a truly scalable identity security architecture that streamlines operations, improves user experience, and delivers tangible business value through a centralized registration workflow.

Benefits of Customization

Okta offers out-of-the-box connectors to help you build bridges to your legacy systems but these generic integrations have practical limitations. Custom integration is needed to ensure seamless, secure connections between your legacy systems and your identity security program. This level of customization offers numerous advantages:

Improved Data Accuracy: Precise mapping and synchronization of unique data attributes and formats between systems helps to reduce errors and inconsistencies.
Automated JML Processes: Customization lets you automate the full JML lifecycle for custom, legacy, or unsupported applications, eliminating manual tasks and reducing security risks from delayed access changes.
Granular Attribute Integration: Application-specific user attributes empower you to enforce fine-grained access controls automatically, supporting least privilege and dynamic access policies.
Streamlined Compliance: Centralized audit trails simplify access reviews for all integrated systems, making it significantly faster and easier to demonstrate compliance across your entire environment.
Business Alignment: Tailored identity workflows and integration logic let you match your unique business processes and application requirements precisely, improving operational efficiency.

Securing Access for Digital Identities in the Real World

In 2020, a major government client needed to modernize and improve access to services for their citizens. KeyData Cyber was retained to develop a citizen-facing SaaS authentication service meeting the following requirements:

Enterprise-grade SaaS that supports standards-based SSO
Can support legacy apps (header-based, WS-Fed, etc.)
Multiple IdPs including social login
Multi-factor authentication including SMS
Proactive threat monitoring / anti-phishing capabilities
50k logins/hr, 99.99% Production uptime

KeyData Cyber Director Andrew Cilla and his team designed a custom Okta registration workflow and dashboard to significantly simplify and accelerate citizen access to online government services, serving over a million individuals. The team built a centralized registration process where, after a quick email verification, citizens gain secure single sign-on access to over 24 diverse government applications (vehicle registration, benefits, licenses, etc.), including seamless integration with Interac for banking applications.

By leveraging Okta's customizability, we created a faster and more efficient registration workflow for this client, speeding up secure access to online services. Built to scale, our custom Okta solution has now been implemented to provide seamless access to existing services and agencies and is fully extensible to integrate with future applications and scalable to grow with their needs – a true technology accelerator.

What Can Customization Do For You?

Managing secure access for a wide variety of digital identities, connecting via myriad environments can be a significant challenge with huge implications for your business. While out-of-the-box connectors offer basic functionality, achieving the level of security, efficiency, and compliance required at scale demands more precise integration.

Our client's success with a centralized, scalable registration workflow powered by custom Okta hooks is a testament to this. Customization delivers the crucial benefits you need: improved data accuracy, automated JML processes across all applications, granular access controls based on unique attributes, streamlined compliance reporting, and direct alignment with your business's specific workflows.

Don't let the complexity of your tech stack limit your identity security program. Reach out to KeyData Cyber to learn how our custom integration expertise can solve your organization’s unique security and access challenges and deliver real business value.

","deletedAt":null,"type":"blog","createdAt":"2025-05-12T16:42:37.575Z","updatedAt":"2025-05-12T16:42:48.686Z","__v":0},{"_id":"680fe3bb2d40fa7b355cd60b","title":"Strategic Synergy: CSPM and IAM for a Resilient Cloud","slug":"strategic-synergy-cspm-and-iam-for-a-resilient-cloud","category":"IAM","description":"Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) plays a vital role in ensuring your cloud resources are configured securely, but it’s just one part of a robust security architecture and IAM is crucial for controlling who has access to those resources. In this blog, we’ll discuss how the synergistic relationship between CSPM and IAM is the key to achieving comprehensive cloud security, a vital integration that many organizations are still struggling to fully realize.","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"680fe3bb2d40fa7b355cd60c"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/strategic-synergy-cspm-and-iam-for-a-resilient-cloud.webp","featuredImageAlt":"Strategic Synergy: CSPM and IAM for a Resilient Cloud","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"Strategic Synergy: CSPM and IAM for a Resilient Cloud","description":"Discover the power of integrated CSPM and IAM for enhanced visibility, proactive threat detection, and simplified compliance. Contact KeyData Cyber today.","ogTitle":"Strategic Synergy: CSPM and IAM for a Resilient Cloud","ogDescription":"Discover the power of integrated CSPM and IAM for enhanced visibility, proactive threat detection, and simplified compliance. Contact KeyData Cyber today.","ogImage":"/images/blog/strategic-synergy-cspm-and-iam-for-a-resilient-cloud.webp","_id":"680fe3bb2d40fa7b355cd60d"},"data":"

Strategic Synergy: CSPM and IAM for a Resilient Cloud

Cloud-based technology has been a boon for organizations in need of off-shore solutions for data storage and management, but it does require a strategic approach to ensure security and stability. According to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report of 2024, “The shift to cloud-based computing is proving a double-edged sword. While cloud computing provides scalability, elasticity, cost savings, and enhanced computational capabilities that drive innovation, it grants these same advantages to malicious actors, amplifying their potential for misconduct.”

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) plays a vital role in ensuring your cloud resources are configured securely, but it’s just one part of a robust security architecture. Identity and Access Management (IAM) is crucial for controlling who has access to those resources.

In this blog we’ll discuss how the synergistic relationship between CSPM and IAM is the key to achieving comprehensive cloud security, a vital integration that many organizations are still struggling to fully realize.

The Limitations of Siloed CSPM and IAM

Separately, CSPM and IAM have unique capabilities that help you monitor and secure your data, but do you really have to integrate them?

CSPM tools excel at pinpointing misconfigurations – exposed storage buckets, overly permissive network rules, non-compliant settings. However, without the crucial context of identity – who are the users, what roles do they hold, and what permissions are assigned – these alerts can become overwhelming "noise." Prioritizing which misconfigurations pose the greatest risk becomes a guessing game if you don’t understand which identities could exploit them.

On the other hand, a robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) framework offers security through granular roles and strict access policies. But what if there are still structural weaknesses, such as easily exploitable misconfigurations? Even the tightest IAM controls can be circumvented if the underlying infrastructure is poorly secured. Enforcing the principle of least privilege, a cornerstone of effective IAM, is challenging when you lack real-time oversight for the security of the cloud resources those identities are accessing.

Siloed IAM and CSPM leaves organizations an incomplete security picture, vulnerable to threats that exploit the vulnerabilities that exist between isolated domains.

So Happy Together: Integrating CSPM and IAM to Elevate Cloud Security

The true strength in cloud security isn't found in the individual capabilities of CSPM and IAM, but in their synergy. For IT security teams, integrated CSPM and IAM is a force multiplier that enables enhanced visibility, intelligent, context-aware policy enforcement, proactive threat detection, and streamlined governance.

See the Bigger Picture of Risk: CSPM data gives important context to your IAM security alerts, providing a clear view into potential threats. You’ll see more AND have the contextual understanding to respond effectively.
Data-Informed Security Policies: CSPM insights help you create more intelligent IAM policies that adapt to the real-time security of your cloud. For example, smarter security policies can tighten access automatically if a resource becomes vulnerable, or require extra security for users accessing sensitive resources.
Expose Hidden Threats: Integrated CSPM and IAM data helps you spot anomalies that siloed systems might miss. And, with automated responses, you can tackle technical issues and vulnerabilities faster and more efficiently.
Simplified Compliance and Governance: Having a single view of your cloud security and who can access it makes compliance much simpler. With comprehensive audit logs, it’s easy to prove you're following security rules.

Weaving together the insights derived from your CSPM and IAM will help your IT security teams move beyond reactive security measures to a proactive and resilient cloud security strategy with the context, intelligence, and automation needed to effectively protect your cloud assets.

Business Benefits of Integrated CSPM and IAM

As we all know, the best IAM is one that helps you achieve your goals. The benefits of a synergistic CSPM and IAM aren’t just about making everyday IT security tasks easier to manage. Strategic integration of these essential systems yields several important business benefits.

Improved Security Operations: Automation driven by integrated CSPM and IAM streamlines tasks, giving your security teams more time to focus on strategic priorities and improving response times.
Reduced Financial Risk: With a unified security approach, you reduce exposure to financial risks associated with a data breach, which could include mitigation costs, compensation to victims, and regulatory fines.
Lowered Compliance Burden: Synchronizing your CSPM and IAM simplifies compliance with comprehensive audit trails that reduce the time and cost of meeting requirements.
Accelerated, Calibrated Breach Response: With the structure of IAM and the monitoring of CSPM, you get the insights you need to accelerate incident detection, diagnosis, and remediation, limiting potential damage and downtime.
Enhanced Competitive Advantage: Your investment into a strong security posture builds trust with your customers and partners, strengthening your reputation and setting you apart from your competition.

The Future is Unified – Partner with KeyData Cyber for Seamless CSPM and IAM Integration

As a Gartner-recognized IAM systems integrator, KeyData Cyber brings a unique perspective and proven methodologies to achieving CSPM and IAM synergy. Our deep understanding of complex IAM systems allows us to design and implement tailored solutions that go beyond basic connectivity. Our specialized teams have broad expertise building unified data models, establishing collaborative workflows, and leveraging automation to create a truly integrated and effective cloud security posture for our clients.

The time to integrate your CSPM and IAM for comprehensive cloud security is now. With over 20 years of experience supporting the full scope of identity security, KeyData Cyber stands ready to help you navigate this critical integration.

Contact us today to schedule your complimentary workshop. We'll assess your IAM and collaboratively develop a roadmap for a more secure and integrated cloud future.

","deletedAt":null,"type":"blog","createdAt":"2025-04-28T20:23:23.247Z","updatedAt":"2025-04-28T20:23:39.328Z","__v":0},{"_id":"6807cb6a05f864f9ee9d7c3c","title":"Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind ...or Your Data","slug":"migrate-from-mim-to-saviynt-without-losing-your-mind-or-your-data","category":"IAM","description":"It’s been 4 years since Microsoft announced that support would end for Microsoft Identity Manager in January of 2029. Some organizations, particularly those with fairly simple MIM configurations that could be easily ported, were able to quickly transition to another supported solution. Businesses with complex architecture and requirements, on the other hand, face a fairly daunting task, making it easier to say, “well, maybe we’ll get to it next year.”","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"6807cb6a05f864f9ee9d7c3d"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/migrate-from-mim-to-saviynt-without-losing-your-mind-or-your-data.webp","featuredImageAlt":"Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind ...or Your Data","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind ...or Your Data","description":"Moving from MIM to Saviynt? KeyData Cyber offers a proven 5-step approach for a seamless transition, even with complex architectures. Unlock automation, agility, and better security – start planning today.","ogTitle":"Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind ...or Your Data","ogDescription":"Moving from MIM to Saviynt? KeyData Cyber offers a proven 5-step approach for a seamless transition, even with complex architectures. Unlock automation, agility, and better security – start planning today.","ogImage":"/images/blog/migrate-from-mim-to-saviynt-without-losing-your-mind-or-your-data.webp","_id":"6807cb6a05f864f9ee9d7c3e"},"data":"

Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind …or Your Data

Well, we can’t say they didn’t warn us.

It’s been 4 years since Microsoft announced that support would end for Microsoft Identity Manager in January of 2029. Some organizations, particularly those with fairly simple MIM configurations that could be easily ported, were able to quickly transition to another supported solution. Businesses with complex architecture and requirements, on the other hand, face a fairly daunting task, making it easier to say, “well, maybe we’ll get to it next year.”

It’s human nature. In the real world, we don’t have the time or the bandwidth to worry about problems coming up in 8 years when we have fires to put out today. And we had a good run, but now it’s today’s problem and we have some decisions to make. To avoid disruptions that could leave you vulnerable, you’ll need to act fast to migrate from MIM to a modern solution.

Can’t it wait another year or two? Not really. While support will remain in place until January 2029, MIM is technically frozen in time. With no future planned for this application, there will be no major updates. Well-supported modern tools receive ongoing feature upgrades to ensure that your organization receives the best protection available, even as cybercriminals evolve and adapt their methods.

Why Begin Your Migration Journey Now?

As the saying goes, “The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Migrating from MIM to Saviynt is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and skillful execution. You’ll need time to get your teams trained and certified to support your new tool and ensure that they are ready to manage this complex and high-stakes transformation.

The January 2029 end-of-support date for MIM may seem far off, but delaying your migration plan carries significant risks. You could find it impossible to maintain compliance or end up rushing your migration at the last minute, out of time and out of options.

What are the Benefits of a Modern, Scalable Solution?

Focusing on just the consequences of failing to migrate away from MIM is such a buzzkill. It’s hard to get leadership excited about an IAM transformation if you make it all about mitigating some far away threat. The truth is that the benefits of making this transition are compelling, including:

Boosting Operational Efficiency Through Automation: Legacy systems like MIM often rely on manual processes for user provisioning, access requests, and approvals. A modern platform with robust automation capabilities streamlines these workflows, freeing up IT staff to work on your strategic priorities.
Enhanced Agility and Adaptability: As MIM fades into obsolescence, it will be unable to adapt to meet the needs of your growing business. Next-gen IAM solutions offer the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing business needs, such as integrating new applications, accommodating mergers and acquisitions, and scaling to support growth.
Improved User Experience = Higher Productivity: Modern IAM platforms often feature intuitive self-service portals for password resets, access requests, and profile management. This reduces your end-users reliance on IT support, enhancing their overall productivity.
Reduced Risk: Modern IAM goes far beyond basic security, with features like adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), granular access controls, real-time risk analytics, and automated enforcement of segregation of duties.
An IAM That Enables Without Getting in the Way: By providing secure and seamless access to the right resources at the right time, a modern IAM facilitates collaboration, innovation, and the adoption of new technologies and cloud services.
Streamlined Compliance: Modern IAM platforms offer comprehensive audit trails, detailed reporting capabilities, and automated policy enforcement, making it easier to meet increasingly complex regulatory requirements.
Business Insights Through Advanced Analytics: Modern IAM solutions provide valuable insights into user access patterns, potential security risks, and operational inefficiencies. These advanced analytics help you make better, more informed decisions regarding access governance, security policies, and resource allocation.

KeyData Cyber’s Approach to Accelerating MIM Migration

We’ve been there and done that. Our experienced team brought unparalleled expertise to their recent work supporting a global asset management company through their migration from MIM to Saviynt. Their specialized five-step approach included tailored solutions designed to accelerate the process.

Architectural Vision: Recognizing that out-of-the-box connectors weren’t enough, our solutions architects and SMEs designed a framework for the new Saviynt implementation that was purpose-built to meet the client's complex requirements, edge cases, and scalability needs.
Deep Understanding of Existing System and Unique Edge Cases: Understanding the client’s requirements meant identifying any specific and non-standard "edge cases" beyond typical lifecycle events. Identifying these unique scenarios is a key accelerator in the requirements gathering process.
Custom Writeback Logic for HR System Integration: Our experts developed and applied custom "writeback logic" to facilitate seamless integration between the client's Workday HR system (the authoritative source of identity data) and Saviynt.
Reducing the Need for Manual Intervention: By properly connecting the HR system and Active Directory and configuring the joiner/mover/leaver lifecycle workflows in Saviynt, our teams were able to automate processes that were largely manual in the client's previous MIM setup.
Application Onboarding: We integrated the client's applications into Saviynt to provide centralized visibility and governance over user access. Focusing first on quick wins with available connectors, we prioritized the onboarding of 40 applications considered "low-hanging fruit" with simpler integrations. This allowed them to demonstrate quick value before tackling more complex systems like ServiceNow. Then we moved on to more complex integrations requiring more support or custom connectors.

This successful migration was a complex undertaking due to the different underlying logic of the two systems. Our innovative approach to the logic transition of core identity lifecycle (JML) management processes from MIM to Saviynt was a significant value-add, ensuring a "seamless transition" for the client.

Tomorrow’s Problem is Now Today’s Mandate

In our experience, complex migrations require careful planning, coordination, strategy, and specialized support. By starting your assessment and planning now, you can lay the foundation for a successful transition away from MIM, ensuring enhanced security, streamlined operations, and a future-proof identity management infrastructure.

We specialize in implementations and migrations with complex requirements. Our engineers routinely develop custom-built connectors to facilitate automation and design bespoke solutions for your unique edge cases. Contact KeyData Cyber to see how we can accelerate your migration from MIM to Saviynt, so you can get back to doing what’s most important. Don't wait until the last minute – begin your journey today.

","deletedAt":null,"type":"blog","createdAt":"2025-04-22T17:01:30.458Z","updatedAt":"2025-04-22T20:40:36.013Z","__v":0},{"_id":"67f554e05171d97b45b9f88b","title":"Identity Security Across Centralized and Decentralized Models","slug":"identity-security-across-centralized-and-decentralized-models","category":"IAM","description":"Whether your identity and access management model is centralized, decentralized, or somewhere in between, it should evolve with your organization—not hold it back. In this blog, we break down why decentralized IAM happens, when it makes sense, and how to manage the risks that come with it.","author":{"name":"KeyData","linkedin":null,"facebook":null,"twitter":null,"email":null,"_id":"67f554e05171d97b45b9f88c"},"featuredImage":"/images/blog/identity-security-across-centralized-and-decentralized-models.webp","featuredImageAlt":"Identity Security Across Centralized and Decentralized Models","tags":[],"meta":{"title":"Identity Security Across Centralized and Decentralized Models","description":"Explore the pros and cons of centralized, decentralized, and hybrid identity and access management models. Learn how to build a flexible IAM architecture that aligns with your business structure, supports compliance, and reduces security risk.","ogTitle":"Identity Security Across Centralized and Decentralized Models","ogDescription":"Explore the pros and cons of centralized, decentralized, and hybrid identity and access management models. Learn how to build a flexible IAM architecture that aligns with your business structure, supports compliance, and reduces security risk.","ogImage":"/images/blog/identity-security-across-centralized-and-decentralized-models.webp","_id":"67f554e05171d97b45b9f88d"},"data":"

Identity Security Across Centralized and Decentralized Models

Is your security model strictly centralized or completely decentralized? For many organizations we work with, the answer comes down to how their business has evolved over time. As new needs emerge, another tool or service gets added to fill that gap.

Decentralization can be intentional, or it can be an inconvenient side effect of growth. For example, in the event of a merger of two companies, the organization may decide to keep the security architecture for each business unit separate because they don’t have the resources right now to implement a single solution. Basically, if it “ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Likewise, an organization could choose to operate with a decentralized model to allow individual business units more autonomy and control. One department may require a much more robust solution than another due to compliance requirements or the sensitivity of their data. In that case, a decentralized model makes good business sense – to a point.

For all its flexibility, the challenge of decentralized models is the lack of central oversight. Experienced IT security leaders already know that forcing conformity to one rigid model isn’t a great way to make friends. The real goal is to build resilient, adaptable security frameworks that effectively support how your organization actually operates, whether your architecture is centralized, decentralized, or hybrid.

The Solution for Decentralized Security Architecture

Unifying your security architecture across the organization doesn’t have to mean a rebuild, and it doesn’t mean that you have to move your entire org to a new tool or service. Centralizing your security program can also be achieved by establishing:

Consistent Policy: Establishing consistent policy goes beyond simply documenting rules to align with established industry frameworks like NIST or ISO 27001, adopting a risk-based approach to prioritizing critical assets, and implementing granular policy enforcement.
Standardized Workflows: Standardizing security workflows automates incident response through predefined playbooks, establishing a clear vulnerability management lifecycle, and implementing rigorous change management processes with embedded security reviews. Identity and Access Management (IAM) must be harmonized across all systems to control user privileges effectively.
Robust Reporting: Robust reporting provides the critical visibility required to understand and manage security risks. Moreover, automated compliance reporting simplifies regulatory compliance and reduces the burden of audits, allowing security teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
Proactive Communication: Proactive communication fosters a security-aware culture and ensures effective collaboration across the organization. Develop a clear incident communication plan to ensure that stakeholders are informed during security incidents.

Building The Bridge with Identity & Access Management

Identity & Access Management (IAM) gives us a way to unify centralized, decentralized, and hybrid governance without implementing tools or services. A mature IAM strategy has the flexibility to adapt to your organization’s existing architecture and offers visibility across all business units and departments.

Here are some of the ways IAM can help:

Centralized Governance defines core security policies, roles, compliance rules, and risk thresholds, empowering local teams or automated systems to handle the day-to-day administration and enforcement within those established boundaries.
Seamless Access via SAML, OpenID Connect, and OAuth allows secure authentication and authorization across different domains, applications, and business units.
Flexible Access Models offer dynamic, context-aware authorization (using user attributes, resource data, environment) that fits complex, hybrid environments better than rigid roles alone.
1. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
2. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
3. Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC)
Unified Visibility and Auditing provides the comprehensive oversight needed for threat detection, compliance reporting, and investigations across all environments.
Consistent Lifecycle Management (JML) with standardized Joiner-Mover-Leaver processes across business units.

The Future is Flexible

You really can have it all. The future of identity security isn't about choosing between centralized or decentralized models, or cloud or on-prem architecture. We work with organizations to balance the benefits of centralized control (like consistent policies and improved visibility) with the agility offered by decentralization (like scalability and responsiveness).

Are you ready to finally see the full picture? Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

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I Connect, Therefore I Am: Extending Zero Trust to Machine Identities

Let's face it, the sheer volume of machine identities – your service accounts, APIs, IoT devices – has expanded the attack surface exponentially for most organizations. We're talking about a vast, undocumented landscape that continues to grow in complexity and vulnerability. The problem isn't just the sheer number of machines; it's the lack of granular control and visibility. Without a clear understanding of what these machines are doing and how they're accessing resources, organizations operate with a significant security blind spot, leaving them vulnerable to both internal and external threats.

While Zero Trust principles are well-established for human access, machine identities are frequently overlooked. Integrating robust machine identity management into your Zero Trust strategy is a fundamental necessity for security.

Implementing Zero Trust for Machine Identities

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But what does it really mean to implement Zero Trust for the various types of machine identities? Let’s explore three common types of machine identities in more depth.

Zero Trust for IoT Devices

IoT devices have several unique qualities that make them particularly vulnerable. They tend to operate in unpredictable environments, from employee’s homes and cars to airports and coffee shops. In remote locations, you don’t have physical control over devices that connect to your network. And, you have to get creative to secure IoT devices, since most of them don’t have the processing power for a traditional security deployment.

So how can we put zero trust for IoT devices into practice?

Verify Every Device: Implement strong, unique device identities and authentication.
Limit Access Strictly: Enforce least privilege with network segmentation.
Monitor Constantly: Track device behavior for anomalies and react quickly.
Encrypt All Communication: Secure data exchange with end-to-end encryption.
Secure Device Lifecycle: Manage provisioning, patching, and decommissioning securely.
Use Context for Access: Dynamically adjust access based on device context.

Zero Trust for Service Accounts

Service accounts, while essential for automated processes and for seamless access and connection with third party vendors, are often granted unnecessarily expansive privileges. Frequently overlooked in traditional access management, service accounts are prime targets for attackers.

So how can we put Zero Trust for Service Accounts into practice?

Verify Every Account: Implement strong service account authentication.
Limit Privileges Strictly: Enforce least privilege for service accounts.
Monitor Account Activity: Track service account behavior for anomalies.
Secure Credentials Robustly: Implement secure credential management.
Automate Access Reviews: Regularly review service account access.
Use Context for Access: Dynamically adjust access based on use context.

Zero Trust for APIs

APIs are the backbone of modern application communication, but their exposure to both internal and external networks creates significant vulnerabilities. To make matters worse, the complex nature of API interactions makes it challenging to track and control API access effectively.

Compromised API keys or tokens can have serious consequences. So how can we implement Zero Trust for APIs?

Trust, But Verify: Implement strong API authentication.
Limit Access Granularly: Enforce fine-grained API authorization.
Monitor API Traffic: Track API activity for anomalies.
Encrypt All Data: Secure API data in transit and at rest.
Secure API Keys/Tokens: Implement robust key and token management.
Use Context for Access: Dynamically adjust API access based on use context.

Take Control of Your Machine Identities

The escalating complexity and ubiquity of machine identities – from APIs and IoT devices to service accounts – demands a fundamental shift in security strategy. We must move beyond traditional perimeter-based defenses and embrace a Zero Trust framework that prioritizes continuous verification and least privilege access.

At KeyData Cyber, we understand the intricate nuances of machine identity management and Zero Trust implementation. We are vendor-agnostic systems integrators with highly-qualified teams that help organizations build robust, scalable security frameworks that align with their specific business objectives. We act as trusted advisors, guiding you through every stage of the process, from initial assessment to ongoing management. Don't leave your machine identities exposed to evolving threats. Contact KeyData Cyber today for a comprehensive IAM assessment and discover how we can help you establish a resilient Zero Trust architecture – for every user, every device, every time.

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Lessons Learned From The SickKids Hospital Breach: What Went Wrong and How to Prevent It

On December 18, 2022, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), located in Toronto, Canada, was the target of a ransomware incident carried out by the notorious LockBit cybercriminal organization. This dangerous attack disrupted vital hospital functions, leading to delays in obtaining laboratory and imaging results and affecting essential internal networks, telephone systems, and the hospital's website.

This article will examine the SickKids breach, identify the identity security shortcomings that were likely exploited, and offer recommendations for preventing future attacks.

LockBit Ransomware: How it Works

According to Microsoft's 2024 Digital Defense Report, LockBit is widely recognized as one of the most prolific and damaging ransomware operations globally, operating under a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) distribution model. Lockbit develops and licenses ransomware software within this framework to external entities conducting the actual attacks. The group then receives a portion of any ill-gotten gains. This approach effectively democratizes ransomware, making it readily accessible to a broad spectrum of cybercriminals, even those with limited technical skills.

LockBit's ransomware tools have enabled a significant number of high-profile cyberattacks, including incidents targeting government agencies in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. These ransomware attacks generally follow a pattern of six distinct phases:

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Analyzing the SickKids Cyberattack: How Did it Happen?

While the precise method the attacker used to infiltrate SickKids' systems has not been disclosed, the organization had several potential vulnerabilities in its identity management practices that could have paved the way for the attackers:

Stolen User Logins: It's possible that cybercriminals acquired legitimate login details of a SickKids staff member with significant system access. This could have been achieved through deceptive tactics like phishing, social engineering manipulations, or credential-stuffing attacks.
Exploitable Weak Passwords: Inadequate or factory-default passwords protecting critical systems or user accounts may have presented an easy avenue for initial unauthorized entry.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Gaps: If MFA was not consistently applied across all vital systems and accounts, it would have significantly simplified unauthorized access, even if the attacker possessed compromised usernames and passwords.
Unremediated Software Flaws: Software or systems related to identity and access administration might have contained unpatched security vulnerabilities, which the attackers could have leveraged. In fact, a vulnerability was discovered months prior to the attack, which may have been exploited.

Post-Incident Review: Lessons Learned

In the aftermath of the mid-December attack, SickKids acted quickly to secure their compromised network, restore operational capabilities, and thoroughly investigate the incident. The hospital activated its established incident response protocols, brought in external cybersecurity experts to assist, and fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies to manage and resolve the crisis.

Despite this rapid response, it was still several weeks before they could get most of their systems back online. On January 1, 2023, LockBit issued an apology, claiming that the attack was undertaken by an affiliate who went against their guidelines and provided the institution with a decryption key. Four days later, SickKids reported restoration of 80% of their most critical systems, and lifted their internal "Code Grey" emergency status.

While unexpected, this incident offered several lessons we can learn from:

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An Ounce of Prevention > A Pound of Cure

So, how can these lessons help you avoid a devastating ransomware infection? Organizations should prioritize implementing the following preventative measures to fortify their identity security framework and reduce their susceptibility to comparable attacks:

Implement Strong Identity and Access Management (IAM) Measures

Mandate strong, unique passwords for all user accounts and activate Multi-Factor Authentication across all critical systems and applications, including VPNs, email, and cloud services.
Periodically assess and maintain user access rights, ensuring individuals possess only the minimum necessary privileges to perform their job functions. Promptly revoke access for departing employees and contractors.
Consider adopting a holistic Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution to effectively manage user identities, enforce access controls, and monitor user activity for suspicious patterns.

Proactively Address Security Flaws (Vulnerability Management)

Develop a robust vulnerability management program, incorporating regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, to rapidly identify and remediate security weaknesses.
Repair and maintain systems with regular patching, secure configuration, and monitoring for vulnerabilities and unusual activity.

Adopt a Defense-in-Depth Cybersecurity Strategy (Comprehensive Cybersecurity Solutions)

Implement a Zero-Trust security model where every access request is verified, regardless of its origin (internal or external network). This model operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify" for all users and devices at every access point.
Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions to observe endpoint behavior, detect malicious actions, and enable real-time threat response, adding a critical layer of endpoint security.
Establish secure remote access solutions like VPNs with strong authentication methods and encryption. Implement access controls to restrict remote access to authorized users and devices only, securing a key perimeter.
Provide employee education on common cyber threats, such as phishing and social engineering tactics. A well-trained workforce forms a crucial human layer in your defense-in-depth strategy.

Maintain a Well-Defined and Tested Incident Response Plan (Incident Response Planning)

Roll out a thorough incident response plan detailing the steps to be taken in a cyberattack. Conduct regular exercises to validate the plan's effectiveness, ensuring readiness for potential incidents.
Develop a strong data backup strategy, incorporating offline backups. Robust backups are a fundamental component of incident response, guaranteeing data recovery and business continuity after an attack.

Applying What We've Learned

The SickKids ransomware incident is a stark reminder that no organization, regardless of its size or mission, is immune to cyberattacks. While the hospital's rapid response and eventual recovery showcased resilience, they faced significant disruptions impacting patient care.

A reactive approach is simply insufficient in a world where sophisticated ransomware like LockBit is readily available. Organizations must embrace a defense-in-depth strategy, prioritizing robust identity and access management, proactive vulnerability management, and comprehensive employee training. To learn more about how to defend against ransomware attacks effectively, contact KeyData Cyber today for a comprehensive workshop.

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Building an Enterprise-Wide Security Culture with an Identify-First Mindset

In the past, IT security meant locking the door to the server room and manually managing user access, but a lot has changed since then. With a distributed workforce collaborating from anywhere in the world through cloud and hybrid applications, locking the door when you go home every night just isn't enough.

Today's IT security threat environment is not your grandparent's threat environment – it's not even your parent's threat environment. Every single day, we hear of novel tools, strategies, and approaches that would have been unheard of even just ten years ago.

The rate of technological change is enough to make your head spin, and organizations have struggled to keep up. Part of the problem is that with so many demands on our limited time and resources, IT security still isn't a high priority for many companies. Leadership is laser-focused on the core business, looking for ways to increase revenue and drive growth. The truth is that IT investments don't deliver the same dopamine rush as a new fleet of vehicles or a foosball table for the breakroom. The threat of a breach seems so distant, like something that happens to other people, so we ignore it and hope for the best.

At the same time, cybercriminals are just as focused on their business, inventing new ways to take advantage of businesses that are unprepared and under resourced.

Securing your data in a dynamic, fluid threat environment requires more than just the latest IAM tools. We need a fundamental shift in perspective that can only come from fostering an identity-first mindset, placing identity at the core of your security strategy - instead of it being just a box to check off a long corporate to-do list.

What is Identity-First Security?

Identity-first security recognizes the new normal - that users, devices, and applications are the frontlines of your security perimeter. This approach is crucial for SaaS environments, where applications and data are hosted remotely and accessed online.

Effective identity-first security must be Consistent, Context-Aware, and Continuous.

Sounds simple enough, but what does that look like in practice?

Consistent Identity Verification: Employ strong authentication methods, like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and passwordless solutions, to verify the identity of users and devices.

Context-Aware Access Management: Implement granular access controls to ensure the right access at the right time for the right user.

Continuous Authentication: Access must be continuously monitored and re-evaluated based on real-time risk assessments.

How to Foster an Identity-First Mindset

Fostering a security-first mindset throughout your organization requires a cultural shift and a new approach.

Demonstrate Leadership Buy-in: CISOs and CTOs must champion the identity-first vision, clearly articulating its importance to business stakeholders and securing necessary resources.

Promote Security Awareness: Conduct regular training and awareness programs to educate employees about the importance of identity security best practices, such as strong passwords, phishing awareness, and reporting suspicious activity.

Enable Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break down silos between security, IT, and business units. Cross-functional collaboration embeds identity considerations into all technology and business decisions.

Measure what Matters: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of identity security initiatives and demonstrate progress.

Empower Your IT Security Teams: Provide your security teams with the necessary tools, training, and resources to manage and secure identities effectively.

Realizing the Benefits of an Identity-First Mindset

An enterprise-wide identity-first mindset will significantly strengthen your security posture and protect against cyber threats, but that's just the beginning. Remember that identity security is a dynamic and evolving process requiring continuous monitoring, assessment, and improvement to remain effective in the face of ever-changing threats. Just keeping the lights on of your IAM program is in and of itself a risk to your business.

Ready to embark on your identity-first journey? We can help. We offer comprehensive, end-to-end identity and access management (IAM) services tailored to your organization's needs and goals. Contact us today to learn how we can help you build a resilient, identity-centric security strategy and protect your organization for the future.

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CISO Blueprint for Higher Education

In higher education cybersecurity, there's a lot you can't control. The threat landscape is constantly shifting, budgets are tight, and users can be, shall we say, unpredictable. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is rapidly ushering in a new generation of cybersecurity threats, from AI-generated phishing emails to AI-powered ransomware.

But don't despair!

This blueprint will offer four steps to help you focus on what you can control so you can begin to build a robust cybersecurity program that delivers real value to your institution.

Starting with the IT Security Architecture in the Mirror

Before you can begin improving how your security architecture protects your organization, you must assess your program's current tools, policies, and practices.

Identify and document assets: Create a comprehensive inventory of all hardware, software, and data storage locations, paying close attention to where sensitive data is stored and how.
Analyze existing security controls: Evaluate the effectiveness of current security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls.
Assess security awareness: Do your end-users know what suspicious behavior looks like and what to do if they observe it? Do they know how to create strong passwords and why these measures are important?
Review incident response plan: Evaluate your incident response plan. Is your communication plan up-to-date, with accurate contact information for all current stakeholders?
Identify vulnerabilities: Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify weaknesses in your systems and applications. Do you have abandoned user accounts lurking on your network, waiting to be exploited? Is your security infrastructure plagued with broken integrations, insufficient controls, and poor visibility?

Define your Ideal Target State

Now that you've taken a good, hard look in the mirror and assessed your current security program, it's time to envision your ideal future state and define a target state architecture. Like building a home, you need a well-defined blueprint designed for your organization's needs, goals, and appetite for risk.

Needs: Defining your target state architecture requires a deep understanding of your institution's business needs. What are the core functions and services that your institution provides? How does technology support those functions and services? For example, a university with a strong online learning program will have different security needs than one primarily focusing on traditional classroom instruction. Likewise, a community college with limited financial resources will need an efficient strategy with predictable costs. Understanding these needs will help you prioritize security investments and ensure your architecture supports the institution's core mission.
Goals: Aligning your security architecture with your business goals demonstrates the value of cybersecurity to institutional leadership and ensures that stakeholders see your program as a strategic asset. Consider your institution's strategic objectives and how cybersecurity contributes to your ability to achieve them. If your institution has a goal of attracting and retaining more students, your security architecture should prioritize protecting student data and ensuring a frictionless user experience that is safe and secure.
Risk Appetite: What level of risk is your institution willing to accept? This is a complex question of critical importance. Some institutions may be more risk-averse than others, which will influence the security measures you implement. For example, a research university with highly sensitive intellectual property may have a lower risk appetite than a small liberal arts college.

Cultivate a Security-First Culture

Cybersecurity is not just the responsibility of the CISO. It is everyone's responsibility. Each end-user and device is part of your overall attack surface – a brick in the wall of your defense. Whether your users are a security vulnerability or an asset is up to you.

To build a strong security culture, you need to:

Provide security awareness training as part of your onboarding process.
Reinforce the importance of security to all members of your institution through regular communications.
Offer ongoing professional development to promote security awareness.
Make it easy to report security incidents.
Develop comprehensive security policies and procedures that are well-written, readily accessible, and updated regularly.
Recognize and reward individuals and teams for implementing and promoting good cybersecurity practices.

How We Help

At KeyData Cyber, we specialize in end-to-end identity security, with over 100 trained experts with decades of experience supporting industries across North America. Contact us today to schedule a comprehensive evaluation of your organization's identity security program. We'll help you take stock of your current defenses, identify your institution's unique needs, and chart a course to a more secure future.

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Fortify and Defend: Fight Ransomware with an Identity-Centric Security Program

As ransomware attacks continue to plague organizations worldwide, causing significant financial and operational damage, many organizations are looking for a way to fortify their defenses. While traditional security tools and strategies are still needed, the increasing sophistication of these attacks, coupled with the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS), necessitates a more focused approach. Compromised identities are now the primary attack vector for ransomware, with attackers exploiting weak passwords and employing phishing tactics to gain initial access and then move laterally within a network to deploy their payload.

Not to be outdone, cybercriminals learn and adapt their methods over time. Microsoft’s 2024 Digital Defense Report found that ransomware actors increasingly incorporate data theft and DDoS attacks into their operations, underscoring the need for a multi-faceted security approach with strong authentication measures, the adoption of modern IAM, PAM, and IGA solutions to manage access privileges effectively, and a zero-trust security model where every user and device is continuously verified. With user identities on the frontlines of IT security defense, organizations must also prioritize security awareness training to educate employees about social engineering tactics and best practices for password security.

Best Practices for Defending Against Ransomware

Ransomware often hinges on compromised identities. A multi-layered approach to identity security, combining foundational tools with targeted enhancements, is crucial for protection against these attacks. The following are some examples of security strategies, tools, and technologies that organizations can use to help protect against ransomware attacks:

Implement Strong Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM solutions provide a centralized platform for managing user identities, access privileges, and authentication processes. To defend against ransomware, your IAM should utilize Role Based Access Controls (RBAC) and follow the principle of least privilege access, only granting users the permissions they need to perform their job. Your IAM strategy should also include multi-factor authentication (MFA) with a combination of authentication methods to verify user identities.

Prioritize Privileged Access Management (PAM): Privileged accounts are prime targets for attackers. PAM solutions are designed to control and monitor access to privileged accounts, enforcing least privilege and preventing unauthorized use. Utilize just-in-time provisioning to grant privileged access only when needed and revoke it immediately afterward. Continuous monitoring of privileged accounts is essential for detecting and responding to suspicious activity before it’s too late.

Strengthen Identity Governance and Administration (IGA): Implement robust IGA processes to streamline identity lifecycle management. Identity governance fortifies your defense with automated provisioning and de-provisioning of user accounts, enforcing consistent access controls across the organization, and managing user access through dynamic and flexible groups based on roles and attributes. IGA helps ensure that the right users have the right access to the right resources at the right time.

Regularly Update and Patch Systems: Keep all systems and software, including operating systems, applications, and security tools, updated with the latest security patches to stop attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities. Failure to apply fixes and patches to your systems can lead to catastrophic consequences, as was seen in 2017 with the WannaCry attack, which affected major corporations and organizations worldwide by targeting out-of-date versions of Microsoft Windows.

Segment Your Networks: Segmenting your network involves dividing your network into smaller, more organized segments to contain the ransomware in the event of an attack. Taking this step will help limit the damage of a breach and prevent the attacker from infiltrating other critical areas of the system. Done right, segmenting your networks gives you several layers of defense that an attacker must overcome to move laterally and bring down the entire system.

Adopt Enhanced Authentication: Implement strong authentication measures like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign-On (SSO) to verify user identities and prevent unauthorized access. Utilize password management solutions to help users create and store strong, unique passwords.

Embrace Zero Trust Security: Implement a Zero Trust architecture, where every user and device is treated as untrusted until verified. Zero Trust limits the impact of compromised credentials by requiring continuous authentication and authorization.

Employ Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR): Proactively monitor user activity, authentication attempts, and access patterns to identify and respond to suspicious user behaviors like unusual access requests or privilege escalation. Rapid threat detection and response are essential to protect your organization from attackers exploiting stolen credentials or other attempts to deploy ransomware.

Train Employees on Identity Security Best Practices

Employees are critical in preventing ransomware attacks. Provide regular security awareness training to educate employees on social engineering tactics, suspicious requests, and how to create and maintain strong passwords. Educating users helps them avoid falling victim to attacks that lead to compromised credentials.

Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst: The Best Time to Build Your Ransomware Defense is Today

The fight against ransomware requires a shift towards an identity-centric security approach. Prioritizing strong Identity and Access Management (IAM) practices, securing privileged accounts, and fostering a culture of security awareness will help you significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these devastating attacks.

It’s time to take proactive steps to strengthen your defenses. Contact KeyData Cyber today to schedule your comprehensive IAM workshop and learn how to build a robust, identity-focused security strategy that protects your organization from evolving ransomware threats.

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Higher Education IAM Challenges Solved

It seems like every time you read the news, another major university's entire network is crippled by a ransomware attack. Student data is compromised, classes are canceled, and critical research is put on hold. This isn't a hypothetical scenario - it's a reality for a growing number of higher education institutions. Very recently, education software company PowerSchool made the news rounds as the latest major organization to be targeted by hackers, who accessed sensitive personal data of millions of parents and students in the US and Canada, from K-12 to colleges and universities.

In fact, in higher education specifically, attacks were up 70% according to Malwarebytes' recent report.

Higher Education faces a unique set of challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. With large and diverse user populations, complex IT environments, and increasing reliance on the cloud, managing identities and access effectively is more critical than ever.

Institutions must ensure that the right people have the right access to the right resources at the right time. Failure to do so can lead to security breaches, data leaks, and disruptions to critical operations.

Who, What, Where: Higher Ed's Multiple Personas

Unlike a business with clearly defined employee roles, higher education institutions must manage a diverse mix of users - students, faculty, staff, researchers, alumni, guest lecturers, and more. Each of these "personas" has unique needs and requires different levels of access to systems and data.

This creates a complex web of access management challenges. How do you ensure that a student can access their coursework but not confidential faculty files? How do you grant a researcher access to specialized software while restricting access to student records? And how do you manage the ever-changing access needs of someone who is both a student and a teaching assistant? Protecting data with such diverse and disparate access requirements is a monumental challenge.

The Solution: Persona-Based Access

Take the time to understand the detailed lifecycle for each user persona in your organization. Understanding who needs access to what and when will give you the insights you need to implement role-based access controls.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): RBAC simplifies access management by grouping permissions based on roles rather than individual users. For instance, the role of "student" might grant access to student portals and online libraries, while the role of "faculty" would provide access to course management systems and grade books. This streamlined approach reduces complexity and the risk of human error.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): ABAC offers a more granular approach by considering various attributes of users and resources when determining access. These attributes could include roles, departments, locations, or even the time of day. This flexibility allows for fine-grained control and is particularly valuable in dynamic environments like higher education.

Higher Ed's Ever-Revolving Door

Universities experience a constant flow of users. New students arrive, graduates depart, and faculty and staff come and go. This creates a huge challenge for managing digital identities.

Just imagine the volume of changes: new students needing access, graduates needing access revoked, employees joining and leaving, and people changing roles within the institution.

Manually managing all this is like bailing water with a teaspoon - inefficient and risky. Stale accounts and delays create security vulnerabilities.

The Solution: Automation

Universities need to automate identity lifecycle management. This means automating the creation, updating, and deactivation of accounts.

Automating your identity lifecycle management will help your IT security teams keep pace with changes, improve efficiency, reduce errors, and strengthen your overall security posture.

Breaking Down Siloes

Unlike businesses with a centralized IT department, universities are large, complex institutions that often have individual departments or schools managing their own IT security ecosystems. While offering flexibility, this autonomy can complicate the institution's approach to IAM in several ways, including:

Inconsistent security practices: Different departments may have different security practices, leading to confusion and vulnerabilities
Difficulty maintaining standards across the org: It's hard to enforce consistent security standards across the institution.
Vulnerabilities in access control: Inconsistent access controls can increase the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Frustrating user experience: Users may need to juggle multiple logins for different systems.

The Solution: A Unified IAM Strategy

To address these challenges, universities should strive for a more cohesive IAM strategy. This involves establishing clear policies, standards, and procedures that apply consistently across all departments and systems.

Embracing a centralized IAM strategy with a single, authoritative source for managing identities and access across the entire institution will improve efficiency, efficacy, and give you the best return for your IAM investment.

Navigating the Cloud and On-Prem Worlds

Higher education is increasingly turning to cloud-based security. Cloud-based solutions offer enticing benefits - they're scalable, adaptable, and often more cost-effective than traditional on-prem systems. Universities are adopting cloud-based learning platforms, research tools, and administrative systems at a rapid pace. However, this creates a unique challenge: managing a hybrid IT environment where both cloud and on-prem systems coexist. This duality can create complexities for IAM, especially when integrating cloud-based IAM solutions with legacy systems.

The Solution: A Hybrid IAM Approach

Instead of treating cloud and on-prem separately, institutions need a hybrid IAM approach. This means finding solutions that seamlessly blend both worlds.

Key components:

Unified identity and access: One system manages all identities, letting users access everything with one login, whether it's in the cloud or on-prem.
Strong security and smooth experience: Protect both environments with robust security measures, while ensuring users can easily navigate between cloud and on-prem apps without friction.

A hybrid IAM approach lets institutions enjoy the cloud's benefits without ditching existing systems. It's the key to a flexible, secure, and user-friendly IT environment.

Unlimited Challenges with a Limited Budget

Higher education institutions face constant pressure to do more with less. In this environment, it's easy to view cybersecurity, particularly IAM, as an extra expense rather than a critical investment.

But the truth is, strong IAM is essential. It's not just about preventing security breaches (though that's crucial!). It's about protecting sensitive data, ensuring compliance with regulations like FERPA, and maintaining smooth operations.

The Solution: Making the Case for IAM

Strong IAM is essential for higher education. It's not just about preventing security breaches - it's about protecting sensitive data, ensuring compliance, and keeping operations running smoothly.

Here's why IAM is worth the investment:

Protects your institution: IAM helps prevent costly data breaches that can damage your finances and reputation.
Ensures compliance: Robust IAM controls are often required by regulations, helping you avoid hefty fines.
Boosts efficiency: IAM solutions can streamline processes and reduce IT workload, saving time and money.
Improves user experience: A good IAM system makes it easier for everyone to access what they need, increasing productivity and satisfaction.
Fits any budget: There are IAM solutions for everyone, from open-source tools to cloud-based platforms.

Investing in IAM is investing in your institution's future. It's a smart move that protects your assets, ensures compliance, and supports your core mission.

How We Support Identity Security for Higher Education

Navigating the complex world of IAM in higher education can feel like charting a course through uncharted waters. With evolving technologies, diverse user populations, and ever-present security threats, it's crucial to have a trusted partner to guide you.

KeyData Cyber understands the unique challenges faced by higher education institutions. We have a deep understanding of the complexities of managing multiple personas, high-volume identity changes, decentralized IT environments, cloud adoption, and budget constraints. Our team of experts can help you develop and implement a tailored IAM strategy that strengthens your security posture, improves efficiency, and enhances the user experience.

Check out our Higher Education success stories:

Improving Secure User Access and Streamlining Operations
Applying a Business-Driven Approach to Meet Today's IAM Challenges

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Ready to take control of your institution's IAM? Contact us today for a free consultation and security assessment. We'll work with you to identify your specific needs and develop a customized solution that aligns with your goals and budget.

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Is Your University's IAM Ready?

Universities today face a complex challenge: providing seamless digital access to a large number of students, faculty, and staff, wherever they may be and whatever devices they may use while safeguarding sensitive data and systems. Between the sheer volume of access management requests and ever-escalating and evolving cyber threats, the task is enormous.

Cybercriminals are nothing if not opportunistic. It's no secret that universities have unique vulnerabilities and security challenges, and that most of the time they struggle to properly fund (and staff) their security programs. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how unprepared K-12 and higher education institutions were, as schools were hacked and Zoom calls were hijacked across North America.

In the years since, the problem has only gotten worse. In their2024 report, Malwarebytes declared that 2023 was the worst year on record for ransomware attacks against the education sector. So, with everything we have learned since the pandemic, many universities are still limping along with an outdated IAM that offers a poor user experience and is inefficient and insufficient.

With a student population that is in constant flux and cybercriminals always checking and testing your defenses, IT security teams in higher education need a robust and modern Identity and Access Management strategy that is secure, scalable and adaptable.

Begin With a Comprehensive IAM Assessment

How do you know if it's time to modernize your IAM?

Where do you even start?

The first step is to do a comprehensive assessment of your IAM. An in-depth examination of your workflows, processes, and strategy will give you a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses so you can make informed decisions about upgrades and investments.

We recently partnered with a major North American university to conduct a thorough IAM and Privileged Access Management (PAM) assessment. Our client needed to evaluate theirIAM and PAM program maturity to determine the right approach to modernization.

Our client was facing many of the same problems that we see in the field that are faced by other colleges and universities. Do any of these challenges sound familiar to you?

Inconsistent Access Controls: A lack of centralized role management, inconsistent access policies, and challenges with fully implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) created potential security risks.

Manual Processes: Manual processes for onboarding, offboarding, and general access management hindered productivity and resulted in long wait times. Delays in time-sensitive tasks, such as removing access to systems when a staff member or student leaves, increase the risk of unauthorized activity.

Integration Challenges: Poor integration between systems resulted in tedious work-arounds and inefficient workflows that hindered productivity.

Guest Access Issues: Incompatibility between systems and challenges with guest account management created access control issues and poor user experience.

Limited Visibility: This client had limited visibility into user behavior, particularly in critical systems like Snowflake, which posed significant risks for data governance.

Diverse User Populations: Managing access for diverse and transient user groups (students, faculty, staff, researchers, guests) with varying needs and access requirements presented a significant challenge.

The Journey from Vulnerable Target to Target State

For our higher ed client, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of their IAM program, doing a deep dive into their processes and systems. The report we provided gave the university a clear understanding of its IAM gaps and a detailed roadmap for improvement.

The first step was to help them establishfoundational governance over their IAM and PAM programs with clear documentation andoversight. With a documented framework for updating existing IAM and PAM standards, we were able to achieve alignment with the university's target state vision and providespecific guidelines for processes and controls.

With this solid foundation in place, we then focused onstreamlining and modernizing their core IAM processes. This involvedrevamping the identity lifecycle, making joiner and mover processes more efficient and secure.

We also recommended and helped deploy a best-fit SaaS IGA solution to replace their legacy system, configuring identity lifecycle workflows based on pre-defined target state processes. This new IGA solution allowed forenhanced role management, with the configuration of roles and access packages replacing existing inefficient roles.

To further improve efficiency and security, we established arepeatable application onboarding procedure andexpanded RBAC and access reviews. Guest access processes were also redefined to better manage various guest types, including sponsored guests, delegates, and temporary external users.

Finally, we helpedstandardize cross-boarding processes in accordance with the new RBAC framework andautomated access requests for a smoother, more user-friendly experience.

Key Business Benefits of a Modern IAM Program

If any of those challenges sound familiar, you aren't alone. With data breaches in the news every day, organizations in every industry are starting to view security in a different light. Where once they may have seen cybersecurity as an auxiliary function or box to check on a to-do list informed leaders understand that strong security offers tangible benefits across the entire organization.

By investing in a robust IAM infrastructure, colleges and universities can:

Fortify their defenses: Modern IAM solutions provide granular control and visibility over user access and behavior, protecting sensitive data and systems from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Unlock efficiency and productivity:Automation is a key component of a modern IAM, streamlining processes like user provisioning, access requests, and authentication. Done well, automation eliminates manual effort, reduces errors, and frees up IT resources so security teams can focus on strategic priorities.

Navigate the compliance landscape: Modern IAM solutions help colleges and universities meet their compliance requirements. By providing tools for access control, monitoring, and auditing, these systems ensure adherence to security standards and legal requirements and simplify reporting.

Empower users with seamless access: A well-designed IAM system puts the user experience front and center. Seamlessintegrations, single sign-on, self-service portals, and intuitive interfaces improve user adoption by making their experience frictionless.

Is Your University Ready for an IAM Transformation?

Don't wait for a security incident to expose your vulnerabilities.Contact us today to schedule a complimentary IAM Maturity Assessment.

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Your Move: What Can we Learn About Solving IAM Problems From the Classic Board Game Risk?

I spent some time playing RISK with my kids last week while I was on vacation, and while I was immediately focused on conquering more territories and defending against attacks, I also considered what lessons the game holds for our industry. Winning at RISK requires a combination of diplomacy, patience, and commitment, and I believe each of these keys to success translates to the IAM world.

For the uninitiated, RISK is a classic strategy board game where players aim to conquer the world by controlling territories, strategically deploying armies, and engaging in battles against opponents. Through dice rolls and calculated decision-making, players navigate a complex landscape of alliances and conflicts, striving to expand their dominion and ultimately achieve global domination. It's a game that rewards tactical thinking, risk assessment, and the ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances on the battlefield.

Sound familiar? The thrill of strategic thinking in RISK, where the movements of other players can be unpredictable, is akin to the world of IAM. In the face of uncertainty, strategic thinking, ongoing risk analysis, and adaptability in the face of continuous change are key. Read on for my three RISK-winning principles we can apply to implement successful IAM strategies in the field.

Diplomacy: Building Bridges, Not Walls

The first key to success in RISK and IAM is diplomacy, which helps understand the motivation of other players and build alliances. This is important in RISK so you know where to place your armies and when to attack. We usually call this “change management” in the IAM world, and it is essential to know your stakeholders, understand their priorities, and prioritize your project activities accordingly.

Patience: The Power of Incremental Progress

The next key to success is patience. During the game of RISK, it is important to build your capabilities and conquer at least one territory each turn, but you don't want to overextend your army by taking too many territories all at once.

In the same way, a successful IAM program must deliver incremental business value on a regular basis, and a “big bang” implementation is almost never a good idea.

While it's tempting to go big or go home, prioritizing the delivery of tangible business value at regular intervals minimizes disruption, allows for adjustments, and promotes an organizational culture of continuous improvement.

Commitment: Playing the Long Game

Commitment is the final key to success, and it is equally important in both RISK and IAM. A good game of RISK can take many hours, and there will be plenty of ups and downs as you win and lose territory. In the same way, a complex IAM transformation doesn't happen overnight, and commitment extends beyond the initial technology implementation. Successful IAM leaders commit to continuous application onboarding and rock-solid operations to improve user experience and reduce security risk across their organization.

From the Game Board to the Real World

As you navigate your way through these murky waters, consider how your teams can apply the lessons of diplomacy, patience, and commitment to your IAM initiatives. You can use these principles to guide your approach to project planning, vendor selection, and the critical ongoing operations that keep your IAM environment secure and effective.

Diplomacy in Action: Think of your stakeholders as the other players in a game of RISK. Before making any major moves, engage in open communication to understand their unique needs and concerns. This collaborative approach ensures the project aligns with broader organizational goals and fosters a sense of ownership, turning potential adversaries into allies.

Patience is Key: Resist the allure of a “big bang“ implementation, just as you wouldn't try to conquer the entire RISK board in one turn. Break down your IAM project into manageable phases, prioritizing those with the highest impact or addressing critical security gaps. This measured approach minimizes disruption and allows for course corrections along the way.

Commitment Beyond Deployment: IAM is not a “set it and forget it“ solution. Plan for ongoing improvement and adaptation. Establish clear metrics to track progress, regularly review and refine your IAM policies, and stay ahead of emerging threats and technologies. Steadfast commitment means continuously strengthening your defenses, just as you would fortify your borders in RISK.

Diplomatic Partnerships: Choose an IAM vendor who values collaboration and open communication. Look for a partner who actively listens to your needs, provides transparent insights, and is willing to work with you to tailor their solution to your unique requirements. Much like a strategic alliance in RISK, a true partnership can be the key to long-term success.

Patience in Due Diligence: Don't rush the vendor selection process. Take the time to research potential vendors thoroughly, request references, and seek evidence of successful implementations in organizations like yours. A patient and methodical approach increases the likelihood of choosing a vendor who can truly deliver on their promises.

Long-Term Commitment: IAM is a strategic investment, not a short-term fix. Choose a vendor who is committed to long-term support, product innovation, and staying ahead of evolving security challenges. Just as you need to adapt your strategy in RISK as the game progresses, you'll need an IAM partner who can grow with you.

Open Communication: Foster a culture of transparency and open dialogue within your IAM team. Encourage team members to share ideas, voice concerns, and provide constructive feedback. This collaborative spirit, reminiscent of the negotiations and alliances in RISK, will lead to better decision-making and a more engaged team.

Continuous Learning: The IAM landscape is constantly changing. Invest in ongoing training and development for your team. Encourage them to stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices. This ensures your IAM operations remain agile and effective in the face of new challenges, much like adapting your tactics in RISK as the game unfolds.

Adaptability: Be prepared to adjust your IAM strategies and tactics as your organization grows and changes. Regularly review and refine your policies, procedures, and technologies to ensure they remain aligned with your business objectives and security requirements. As in RISK, adaptability is key to staying ahead of the IAM game.

Winning the IAM Game

By embracing these three key principles — the very same principles that lead to victory in RISK— you can confidently navigate the complexities of IAM and construct programs that are not only resilient and adaptable but also well aligned with your organizational goals. Much like the RISK board, the IAM landscape is ever-changing. You're not going to win the game of IAM with swift conquests but by playing the long game strategically, fostering alliances, making calculated moves, and adapting to the evolving terrain.

KeyData supports businesses and organizations as they improve, maintain, and adapt their identity and access management strategy.Contact us todayfor a free consultation.

And if you haven't played RISK, check it out - it is a timeless classic.

Dustin Hoff, Chief Executive Officer
dustin.hoff@keydata.ca | Connect on LinkedIn

Dustin is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of experience in digital identity and cybersecurity industry. He combines extensive industry experience with a deep understanding of identity security trends and leading practices.

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Start Maximizing Business Value with an IAM Maturity Assessment

Your IAM program forms the foundation for the information security programs within your organization. Even after recognizing this, justifying investment in IAM upgrades can be challenging. While new methodologies for evaluating ROI for security projects are constantly gaining acceptance, with IAM, the business value is in intangible benefits (improved visibility) and preventive outcomes (breaches that did not happen), which are, let's be honest, not as sexy on paper as profits.

The truth is that organizations that don't invest in a strong IAM program pay for it with all the hidden costs associated with their outdated IAM practices—wasted time due to manual processes, an avalanche of IT helpdesk tickets related to access issues, and costly compliance violations. This is before you factor in the potential cost of a future breach.

To get your executive leaders on board, you'll have to show how maturing your IAM program will not only add value to the business but also pave the way for future growth and improvement.

The Symptoms of Low IAM Maturity

Demonstrating the value of improving your IAM program can be challenging without first understanding your organization's IAM maturity level and gaps in achieving the next level. A low level of IAM maturity manifests in several ways, hindering your organization's security, efficiency, and compliance posture.

Some examples of common gaps that we uncover in our client's assessments are:

New employees face significant delays in accessing important applications due toslow and manual provisioning processes.
Difficulty enforcing access controls and assigning user entitlements results in unclear access privileges. Overprivileged accounts pose security risks, while underprivileged accounts cause workflow disruptions.
Conflicting policies and procedures between departments cause confusion and non-compliance, resulting in security gaps and administrative challenges.
Limited visibility into user activity and entitlements hinders the timely detection of suspicious behavior and entitlement assignment errors, increasingthe organization's exposure to insider threats and data theft.
Poor integration between identity threat detectionand your incident response functions result in slow andineffective response to security threats. Your IAM program should be able to help you detect compromised accounts and revoke access in real-time, reducing the number and impact of security incidents.

These are just a few of the symptoms of low IAM maturity. These issues can create a vicious cycle, hindering user productivity, increasing security risks, and making it difficult to justify further investments in IAM solutions when the current solutions are deemed ineffective.

The Hidden and Real Costs of Low IAM Maturity

Operating with a low-maturity IAM program leads to inefficiencies and vulnerabilities, leaving you with hidden weaknesses that can significantly impact the organization's business goals.

Let's consider the costs of failing to mature and modernize your IAM program and having these gaps lead to a business-impacting event:

These hidden costs underscore the importance of ensuring that your organization is protected by a strong identity security program.

Investing in an IAM maturity assessment and proactively enhancing your security posture can mitigate these risks and safeguard your organization's financial well-being and brand reputation.

Charting Your Path to IAM Maturity

KeyData specializes in IAM. We have worked with clients throughout North America, successfully leading over 1,000 IAM projects from top providers. Our certified technicians and engineers are experts at developing and deploying the right suite of tools and services to meet your needs. We have extensive knowledge of all the domains of IAM, from IGA, PAM, and CIAM to CIEM. We can give you the mature IAM program you need to move your business forward.

We don't just point out problems – we help you solve them.

KeyData's IAM maturity assessment goes beyond simply evaluating your current state. We use the insights we gain from our assessment to create a customized roadmap that propels your organization toward a higher level of IAM maturity.

One-size-fits-all doesn't work for IAM. This roadmap will be your personalized blueprint for success. It prioritizes actionable recommendations based on the specific gaps we identified in your assessment. These recommendations could include:

Automating user lifecycle management to remove human error from onboarding, offboarding, and access reviews.
Streamlining access provisioning processes by implementing automated workflows and self-service portals.
Enforcing granular access controls with conditional access controls and least privilege principles.
Standardizing policies and procedures across departments to ensure consistency and compliance.
Enhancing user activity monitoring to gain real-time visibility into access patterns, privileged users, and anomalous activities.

The roadmap also outlines a clear path to reach your maturity goals, with prioritized tasks, defined timelines, and resource costing. This ensures a focused and efficient approach to addressing your IAM challenges.

Start Maximizing the Business Value of your IAM Program Today

Recent research has found that transitioning to automated provisioning could result in a staggering 300 percent ROI and savings of $3.5 million over three years for a company with 10,000 employees.

The business case for strong IAM protocols supported by efficient automation is compelling, and the evidence is clear - this will significantly reduce your risk and boost your bottom line.

While implementing a robust IAM program requires an investment of time and capital, the benefits represent a significant value add for your business, protecting it now and into the future.

Don't wait until after a crisis. KeyData specializes in IAM. We help our clients reduce IT security costs while improving security and efficiency. Contact us today to schedule your IAM assessment.

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