As cybersecurity threats continue to grow, Identity and Access Management (IAM) remains a foundational pillar of cyber resilience. However, IAM’s long-standing presence has given rise to several myths, leading to misconceptions about its accessibility, effectiveness, and role in the broader security landscape. In this article, we’ll tackle three prevalent myths about IAM and uncover the reality behind each one.
A common misconception is that IAM solutions are only practical or affordable for large organizations with big budgets and complex infrastructures. This idea may have held some truth in the past, but today, IAM solutions are more accessible, cost-effective, and scalable than ever. From small businesses to local school districts, IAM tools have become a smart and necessary investment across all organization sizes.
The rise of cloud-based solutions, such as Identity as a Service (IDaaS), has been a game changer in this space. IDaaS offers subscription-based IAM solutions, allowing organizations to avoid the costly overhead associated with traditional IAM setups. With IDaaS, small schools, nonprofits, and other smaller entities can benefit from IAM features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor authentication without needing to maintain extensive in-house systems.
As stated in a CDW article, IAM has shifted from being a luxury reserved for Fortune 500 companies to a critical tool that boosts both security and productivity for all organizations. IAM is no longer about size; it’s about ensuring that everyone—regardless of budget—has a foundational layer of security that helps protect against unauthorized access and cyber threats.
IAM is designed to enhance security and mitigate risks, but it doesn’t entirely remove the potential for human error. Think of IAM as a safety net that helps prevent common security pitfalls, but it’s not a complete fix for all vulnerabilities caused by human mistakes. While IAM does make it harder for bad actors to access an organization’s systems through traditional means, human actions, like phishing and credential theft, remain significant entry points for cybercriminals.
Research from Proofpoint reveals that a staggering 74% of security breaches are tied to human actions, meaning that employees may still fall victim to phishing or social engineering. The ability to authenticate users’ identities and monitor for unusual behaviors is a big part of IAM’s success, but without awareness and training, users can still inadvertently provide cybercriminals with entry.
In a real-world example highlighted by CDW, an employee unknowingly validated a fraudulent access attempt using multifactor authentication (MFA) on his smartphone. This scenario underscores the importance of not only implementing IAM solutions but also investing in ongoing cybersecurity training that equips employees to recognize phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics before they result in a breach.
IAM is a fundamental aspect of the zero-trust security model, a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity that assumes no one—whether inside or outside the organization—can be fully trusted without verification. However, implementing IAM alone does not equate to achieving zero trust. Zero trust requires a layered strategy involving multiple solutions and a wide array of security measures across all endpoints within an IT system.
Achieving true zero trust involves deploying various tools and practices, including SSO, MFA, privileged access management, continuous authentication, and user behavior analytics. These elements work together to build a holistic security framework where access is continuously verified and monitored. This complex model of interconnected protections prevents any one point of vulnerability from threatening the entire system.
As noted in the CDW article, today’s IAM marketplace offers solutions that cater to different needs, ranging from cloud-based options to hybrid and on-premises deployments. Organizations must evaluate these solutions and integrate them into a broader zero-trust framework, using IAM as one part of a multifaceted security strategy rather than a standalone solution.
IAM continues to evolve, making it an essential tool not only for securing access but also for building a foundation of trust within an organization’s cybersecurity approach. Understanding these myths is key for IT leaders and decision-makers looking to create a resilient cyber defense.
IAM’s increasing accessibility means that organizations of all sizes can implement solutions that were once reserved for large enterprises. By incorporating IAM with employee training and other security tools, businesses and schools can build a strong barrier against human error and cybersecurity threats. By recognizing IAM as a component of zero trust rather than the solution, organizations can deploy comprehensive strategies that work in tandem to secure every part of their network.
