What is Identity Security?
Identity Security is a comprehensive strategy to protect all digital identities within an organization. This includes human identities (like IT admins and remote workers), machine identities (such as devices and applications), and other entities. The goal is to secure access across any device and location, balancing security with productivity. It focuses on ensuring that every identity is
- Accurately authenticated
- Properly authorized
- Given access to critical assets in a controlled and auditable manner
PAM is a critical component of Identity Security because it ensures that privileged identities—those with elevated access rights—are accurately authenticated, strictly authorized, and continuously monitored to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate risks.
Why is Identity Security important?
Identity Security is crucial because modern threats increasingly target identities as a means to access to sensitive assets. With the rise of cloud technologies and remote work, the number and types of identities have expanded, creating more opportunities for attackers. Recent studies show that a significant portion of breaches involve compromised identities. In fact, according to the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA), 90% of organizations experienced at least one identity-related incident in the past year. As attackers develop more sophisticated tactics, effective Identity Security helps prevent unauthorized access and reduces the risk of data breaches and identity theft.
How is Identity Security different from Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle of "never trust, always verify." It requires continuous validation of every user, device, and access request. Identity Security, on the other hand, focuses on managing and protecting identities and access permissions. While Zero Trust is a broader approach to security, Identity Security provides the foundational technologies and practices necessary to implement Zero Trust principles effectively. Essentially, Identity Security supports the Zero Trust framework by ensuring that identities are properly managed and protected.
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