Is Your University's IAM Ready?

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 So, with everything we have learned since the pandemic, many universities are still limping along with an outdated IAM that offers a poor user experience and is inefficient and insufficient.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.