Identity management (IDM) tools can save companies substantial amounts of money on licensing fees and generate business intelligence, says Phil Allen, BMC Software regional identity management solution architect for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
"Identity management has been pigeonholed as a security offering, concerned only with granting access to computer resources. In fact, identity management is not just about security," Allen says. "It is concerned with operational excellence and business enablement."
Allen says an IDM offering should always be able to tell the business who its users are, what they have access to, who approved that access and what they are doing with that access. Spin-offs from this include savings on licence fees and improved productivity.
Another advantage of IDM is the ability to see real-time who is using what business services. "It allows companies to adapt business services to the requirements of staff or customers," says Allen.
Cyclic, automated approach
Arjen Wiersma, country manager of BMC Software says the prevent, detect and investigate (PDI) methodology associated with its products provides a practical approach to risk management.
He explains that preventative controls focus on how to stay one step ahead of security criminals without actually locking down the system; detective controls identify new risks; and investigative controls explore breaches and come up with new preventative measures.
"This PDI cycle is what the CIO needs to be put in place. It's not a case of turning on a solution and being able to walk away," says Wiersma.
An automated identity management approach will also help identify instances of unused access. This is achieved through segregation of duties and re-certification processes that ensure access rights are always up to date.
"The only true value a company has is the information and intellectual property it owns," says Wiersma. "If this is readily available to 'ghost employees' there could be serious consequences for the business."
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