What must be secured to implement Identity Management effectively?

To implement Identity Management effectively, securing the identities created is paramount because these identities serve as the cornerstone of any identity management system. Identity Management (IdM) focuses on managing individual user accounts and their permissions within an organization. It encompasses the entire lifecycle of user identities, from creation and provisioning to maintenance and eventual deactivation.

When identities are not secured, an organization risks data breaches, unauthorized access, and compromised user accounts. Implementing security measures for identities includes ensuring that authentication methods (such as passwords, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication) are robust, controlling access to sensitive information based on user roles, and keeping extensive audit logs to monitor identity-related activities. By prioritizing the security of identities, a company can maintain integrity, compliance, and trust in its identity management processes.

While aspects like the operating system and physical server hardware play a supportive role in overall security, they do not directly address the core function of managing and securing user identities. User internet habits, while relevant to a broader security understanding, are not a fundamental aspect of identity management in the same way that securing identities themselves is.