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Cloud-Based Identity Governance

Many organizations are adopting cloud technology expanding the market of cloud identity governance. This technology is gradually changing identity governance and administration. Cloud-based identity security products are expected to replace nearly 75% of the already existing software-delivered identity governance across the world by this year. 

Advancements in business and security

There are multiple benefits to implementing cloud-based identity governance platforms. 

  • The processes and practices are simplified which involves access requests, user provisioning, and password resets. This reduces operational costs and also offers APIs that can be used to integrate with cloud services, on-premise applications, and user workflows. 
  • They are easy to configure and begin using as there is no need to install any hardware or complicated infrastructure. 
  • They can improve the security controls and processes that are related to authorization, authentication, provisioning, auditing, and are also vital for regulatory audits and compliance reporting.

Identity governance services are implemented by organizations to achieve multiple outcomes. Here are some of the use cases. 

  • To develop SoD for cloud services and applications. 
  • To perform access reviews and monitor cloud service users. They ensure appropriate usage and identify malicious activities if any. 
  • To design and manage role assignments.
  • To report on identity configuration and errors for compliance and internal policy adherence.
  • To combine on-premise directories and entities with cloud-based applications. 

What to look for?

The IT leaders must choose an identity governance platform that will support various APIs, identity roles, and policy associations to be in a complex cloud environment. Preferably, the cloud identity services must be having have connectivity capabilities to support unified management in the cloud as well as on-premises resources. Many platforms will be present exclusively in the cloud whereas a few might be offering on-premises gateways and appliances along with it. 

Strong authentication, role-based access control capabilities, and detailed audit logging must always be looked for. Most preferably, audit logging may be exported to central event management and a monitoring platform. The capabilities in provisioning, access management, entitlements management, and identity lifecycle management must be standard for an identity governance platform. There should also be an availability of a wide variety of reporting.

Notably, the market for cloud identity governance is foreseen to grow. Most organizations these days are implementing cloud services and identity management suites in transition to cloud-based identity service models. 

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