Organizations increase focus on identity security

The shift to remote working has led to an increase in the number of identities employed and an increased focus on identity security, but a decrease in confidence in the ability to secure employee identities.

A new study from The Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA) finds that four out of five participants believe that identity management used to just be about access, but it’s now mostly about security.

The number of identity-related breaches remains flat, however with 79 percent of organizations experiencing an identity-related breach in the past two years, the same as reported in a previous study conducted by the IDSA in April 2020.

"The past year forced organizations to recognize the importance of securing digital identities, whether maintaining employee productivity through secure access from anywhere, using any device, or transforming engagement with customers to secure online services," says Julie Smith, executive director of the IDSA. "If it hasn't already happened, CISOs should seize this opportunity to elevate the importance of identity, not just in security strategies, but as an opportunity to provide business value through risk reduction, including Zero Trust initiatives, cost containment, increased productivity, and to improve both employee and customer experiences."

Among other findings are that at least 70 percent of the 500 IT decision makers surveyed report that they began implementation or planning of identity-related security outcomes in the past two years. 97 percent will make investments in identity-related security outcomes over the next two years, and 93 percent believe they might have prevented or minimized security breaches by using identity-related security outcomes.

In addition 64 percent report that they have made changes to better align security and identity functions within the last two years. 87 percent say the CISO has a leadership role when it comes to identity and access management, a dramatic contrast to 53 percent that said the same about the security team in 2019.

You can get the full report from the IDSA site.

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