Get Clean, Stay Clean, Optimize: The Cure for Distressed IGA Deployments

Gartner recently released a report titled “Avoid These Top 5 Mistakes When Deploying IGA” by analyst Brian Guthrie. In the report, Gartner estimates that 50% of Identity Governance Administration (IGA) deployments are in “distress.” The reasons cited include: 

• Initial Identity Governance Administration (IGA) deployments are often too ambitious, causing major impacts to roadmaps and timelines.
• Discovering unknown customized application schemas and finding unexpected modified object classes during application onboarding causes extended troubleshooting timelines.
• Incomplete use-case documentation leads to increased deployment timelines and stakeholder frustration.
• Authoritative sources often contain unusable and meaningless identity data, causing increased data analysis efforts and extended deployment delays.
• Ambiguous user entitlement descriptions lead to accidental removal of access, compliance reporting errors, and misleading audit findings.

While the challenges they outlined are real, they can be effectively addressed through a Get Clean, Stay Clean, Optimize approach to IGA. This proactive “zero-risk” strategy tackles the root causes of “distressed” IGA deployments, paving the way for a smoother, more successful journey.

Get Clean: Address the Risk Debacle at its Source

Challenge: Unusable identity data and unresolved risks create a shaky foundation for any IGA project.

Get Clean: Before onboarding, implement robust data cleansing and risk reduction initiatives. Leverage application risk assessment policies to ensure consistency and accuracy across systems. This upfront investment saves time and frustration down the line.

Stay Clean: Continuous Monitoring and Hygiene

Challenge: Identity and business process data is dynamic, and neglecting data hygiene leads to recidivism.

Stay Clean: Establish automated processes to continuously monitor business process, configuration change, and separation of duty violations. Regularly identify and remediate process inconsistencies, user access and entitlements, and manage elevated access instances. Proactive exception management prevents issues from snowballing.

Optimize: Use Automation and Standardization to Streamline Operations

Challenge: Manual processes are error-prone and time-consuming, contributing to deployment delays.

Optimize: Leverage automation tools for user provisioning, access requests, and entitlement reviews. Standardize processes and workflows to ensure consistency and efficiency. By automating repetitive tasks, your team can focus on strategic initiatives.

Prioritize Use Cases and Scope: Start Small, Win Big

Challenge: Overly ambitious initial deployments often lead to missed deadlines and stakeholder fatigue.

Prioritize: Identify critical use cases that address immediate needs and deliver quick wins. Gradually expand the scope as you demonstrate success and build buy-in. This iterative approach fosters confidence and momentum.

Communication and Collaboration: The Cornerstones of Success

Challenge: Siloed teams and unclear communication contribute to misunderstandings and delays.

Communicate: Establish clear communication channels and involve all stakeholders throughout the process. Foster collaboration between IT, business units, internal controls, and data owners to ensure alignment and shared goals.

From Distressed to Thriving: Achieving Success with Proactive IGA Management

The Get Clean, Stay Clean, Optimize approach is not just a methodology; it’s a cultural shift. By prioritizing risk reduction, embracing automation, and fostering collaboration, organizations can avoid the pitfalls of “distressed” IGA deployments and achieve their desired security and access management goals. Remember, IGA is a continuous journey, not a one-time event. By adopting this proactive approach, you can ensure your IGA solution remains effective and efficient, delivering long-term value to your organization.

The experts at Pathlock can assist with your Get Clean, Stay Clean, Optimize approach to IGA. Contact us today for a personalized demo.