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| PIAM solutions ensure that credentials are onboarded to all the right systems |
The number of credentials people are carrying is on the rise. At any given time, an individual may be carrying badges, cards or other ID devices for their office, the gym, public transit and more, not to mention credit cards and government-issued identification. The more credentials people carry, the greater the challenge of managing and tracking these credentials poses, and the more likely that they will be lost, stolen or misused.
The way organisations handle lost badges contributes to the high number of active credentials. When an individual’s card or badge is reported as misplaced, they are typically issued an inexpensive credential that is meant to be active only until the original badge is found. If it is not found, and has not been deactivated, there are two active credentials associated with that particular identity.
Smartphones as mobile credentials
Utilising smartphones as credentials greatly reduces the probability of this happening. Given the key role they play in everyday life, people are likely to notice right away if they have lost their phone – and the mobile credentials it contains – and will quickly attempt to find it. Additionally, if a phone cannot be located, it is more likely to be (correctly) reported as lost and deactivated almost immediately. Additionally, the ability to network phones allows security to better control and manage identities in a single location, enabling stronger reporting, easier management and greater clarity into how credentials are being used.
PIAM benefits
The use of smartphones as mobile credentials is greatly facilitated with the adoption of a Physical Identity Access Management (PIAM) solution. With the ability to tie together multiple disparate security and non-security systems into a single platform, PIAM solutions ensure that credentials are onboarded to all the right systems, including access control, mobile, human resources and other disparate networked security and non-security systems. PIAM solutions streamline the processes of issuing or reissuing credentials to make sure lost badges are deactivated immediately. Policy updates and changes can be automated to maintain consistency and reduce time and effort required.
Organisations can capture and monitor data relating to how badges are used, to reduce badge sharing and other misuse. This misuse is further reduced since it is far less likely that an individual will loan or share mobile phone credentials than a redundant or temporary badge. Because the solution also captures data from access control and other systems, the organisation can apply predictive analysis to mobile devices to provide that larger picture necessary to ensure better management of identities and control of access.
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| PIAM solutions streamline the processes of issuing or reissuing credentials for lost badges, and monitor for credential sharing |
PIAM with predictive analysis capabilities
With PIAM, any and all assets are associated to one identity record. Meaning, even though John Doe has a mobile credential and a badge, the two will be associated with his single identity within the system. Should both credentials be used in different locations simultaneously, predictive analysis can determine whether this is an acceptable occurrence based on a job change, special project or other factor – or if it is an anomaly that must be investigated and/or mitigated. In this case, the system can automatically deactivate both identities and alert management, security staff and other appropriate parties. The quick response this enables will reduce the organisation’s overall risk posture while still providing excellent customer service and providing end users with the mobile capabilities they desire.
We live in a mobile world and have come to expect mobile capabilities in virtually every facet of life. Access control is no exception, as the day is coming when mobile credentials will become standard for many organisations. To date, the challenges of mobile access control have limited its adoption but that is no longer the case thanks to PIAM solutions with predictive analysis capabilities. When deployed through a PIAM platform, mobility is brought to a higher level of intelligence by provisioning access based on each individual identity and the person’s authority and access privileges within the organisation. By extending predictive analysis from enterprise systems to mobile devices, organisations gain improved management and greater control and awareness of credentials, resulting in stronger security and significantly reduced risk.
