Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

What is identity governance and administration?

Identity governance and administration or IGA is linked to the wider business discipline of identity management and access control, but differs in that it has a focus on auditing and compliance. Identity governance refers to the processes by which organizations record details of identities and the ability to report, analyse and audit these systems. Identity administration refers to the actual mechanics behind identity management, so services such as employee provisioning, deprovisioning and role based access control. When grouped together the term identity governance and administration refers to an extended identity management platform with an enhanced capability to deal with detailed reporting and compliance needs. 

Importance of identity governance and administration

The importance of identity governance and administration is paramount in highly regulated industries where there is a need to prove compliance e.g. large corporates, financial institutions, law firms and healthcare providers. However, it is a mistake to think that it is only big companies and those with compliance requirements that need identity governance and administration. These days data breaches are all too common, and are as likely to happen in smaller businesses or non-regulated industries. As data managers, organizations of all sizes need to ensure the personal details of employees, customers and other stakeholders are kept in a safe and secure way. Having a robust, automated identity governance process can provide the backdrop by which businesses can take back control and satisfy the need for regular monitoring and auditing.  Utilising specially designed identity governance software can greatly reduce the amount of IT hours spent on these tasks and ensure that human error is removed from the process.