Australian identity access management professionals have been advised to prioritize identity as a cornerstone of their organizations’ cybersecurity strategy, as inadequate management of key exposures, such as machine identities, poses a significant risk to many organizations.
Speaking at Gartner’s Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney, Gartner VP analyst Felix Gaehtgens emphasized the importance of investing in mature IAM programs centered around an identity fabric approach. He highlighted the need for better IAM hygiene to enhance resilience and cautioned against locking data into silos and using AI without proper data management.
Gaehtgens noted that the role of IAM leaders has evolved in response to the decentralization of the identity landscape, with employees working remotely and assets protected by various access controls. He stressed the central role of IAM in addressing security challenges in the new digital environment.
The rise of machine identities has added complexity to IAM, with Gaehtgens highlighting the need for organizations to prioritize identity management and build relationships outside of IT to ensure consistency, contextuality, and continuity in access policies.
Gaehtgens also recommended adopting an identity fabric architectural approach to manage IAM more effectively, emphasizing the importance of AI capabilities in enhancing IAM team productivity. He underscored the need for data management and engineering to support AI initiatives within IAM programs.
In conclusion, Gaehtgens emphasized the importance of identity hygiene as the first line of defense in cybersecurity, urging IAM professionals to focus on prevention and detection, including addressing machine identities. By investing in good identity hygiene practices, organizations can reduce the number of alerts reaching their security operations centers and improve their overall cybersecurity posture.