What are the Best Identity and Access Management (IAM) Practices to Boost IT Security
Tags: iam, cloud, devops, itsecurity
Published: 2020-12-02 07:05:20

Cybersecurity issues are becoming a day-to-day struggle for businesses. With the evolving cloud infrastructure and growing digital adoption, the concern has grown massively. Identity and Access are the two main entry points for any cyber threat event. To combat this, Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions are the perfect go-to! Have a look: 

##A Quick Response: Why Identity and Access Management (IAM)?##

It satisfies the requirements of leading compliance regulations
It conducts regular and proper audits to address critical IT security risks
IAM isn't a one for all solution. It's an ongoing process that demands continuous management.  

**A Quick Insight into IAM**

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/35nw3omtdytqoap5cb6b.png)

##Four Best Practices for a Successful IAM Implementation

The following practices will help you create a successful IAM implementation. Also, these practices will help you boost your identity management system to ensure better security, efficiency, and compliance.

**Define Your IAM Vision Clearly**

IAM implementation is a blend of technology solutions and business processes. It handles all the identities and accesses corporate data & applications. Here’s how you can clearly define your IAM vision:

1.Integrate your business processes with your IAM program at the beginning of the concept stage.
2.Create your current and future IT capabilities based on existing IT & network infrastructure.
3.Plan out the roles between your users & applications on policies, rules, privileges, etc.
4.Map and identify excessive privileges in business roles and accounts.
5.Complete entire auditing needs to stay in-sync with compliance regulations and privacy policies.
6.Create data governance policies to empower teams with informed decisions.
7.Start implementing an enterprise-wide approach across various parts of your IAM architecture.

**Develop a Robust Foundation**

Check the capabilities of your IAM product. Also, conduct a risk assessment of all organizational applications and platforms.

Key parameters of the risk assessment:

1.Compare standard and in-house versions.
2.Identify the operating system and the existing third-party apps. 3.Map them with the functionalities offered by the IAM program.
4.Offer customization to fulfill modern requirements and needs.
5.Don't overlook the technological limitations and capabilities.
6.Involve IAM Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at the standardizing and enforcement stage of the IAM policy.

**Evaluate the Efficacy of Existing IAM Controls**

Ask yourself the following questions to avoid under implementing IAM systems:

1.How will the IAM program benefit your organization?
2.What will be the advantages and drawbacks in terms of security oversight?
3.What should be the correct approach to implement a successful integration?

**Promote Stakeholder Awareness**

The IAM program-related stakeholder awareness program should:

1.Cover complete training on the underlying technology, product abilities, and scalability factors.
2.Have a determined approach tailored to the demands of various user communities.
3.Provide an in-depth understanding of the IAM program (along with its core activities) to IT teams
4.Be informed of the capabilities across diverse stages of the IAM lifecycle.

**Some Additional IAM Practices to Consider**

1.Decrease network complexity wherever possible.
2.Ensure the authenticity of managed privileged accounts
3.Use IAM products to fine-tune your IT environment.
4.Minimize costs and maximize satisfaction.
5.Let users manage their accounts through customized IAM workflows.
6.Focus more on visibility and control.

##Conclusion

Now that you know the top 4 practices for a successful IAM implementation; use it to  Do you know 75% of the IAM programs fail due to ineffective management in either single or all stages of implementation? ensure a smooth and seamless implementation.

Why are [Successive Technologies](https://successive.tech/devops-and-cloud-services) the best fit for your IAM and cloud solution implementation?

1.Skilled cloud and IAM expertise
2.Strategic IAM roadmap and design
3.Easy IAM architecture design modification and implementation
4.Seamless cloud migration and integration
5.Tailored solutions for smooth roll-out 
6.Fast product evaluation

[Let’s get started!](https://successive.tech/contact-us/)