Unfortunately, implementing Identity Access Management is not a one-time thing that you tick once and you never need to look back afterwards. The friction involved in each IAM implementation can determine an initiative’s success or failure. Organizations must develop optimal strategies to deploy IAM effectively that may change over time. Think of the changes that come with AI or the ever-increasing number of cyber attacks. IAM is not independent of global trends, the rise of cybercrime or AI to name just two. In 2025 and beyond, IAM will concentrate more on new directions and security postures to make IAM implementation more successful.
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is essential for protecting accounts and systems from unauthorized access. According to a Verizon survey, over 90% of breaches involve phishing attempts, making it crucial to secure passwords and authentication credentials. IAM solutions should therefore emphasize MFA through one-time passwords (OTPs) and add a third layer of security by monitoring usage patterns, IP addresses, locations, and devices. Those might now be news for tech-savy companies but there is still a large chunk of the economy for who MFA is still something new.
Implementing risk-based authentication control (RBAC) further enhances security. IAM service providers are increasingly focusing on improving RBAC using artificial intelligence, which allows for dynamic and context-aware authentication processes.
2025 could or maybe should be the year IAM solutions embrace the Zero Trust security framework to mitigate cyber risks and protect hybrid cloud environments, systems, and users from unknown attacks. Under the Zero Trust model, continuous authentication and verification are required not only at login but also throughout sessions. This approach ensures that individuals provide proper identification before accessing any organizational resources, thus supporting the implementation of machine identity. This can also help with other important tasks like software licence provisioning.
Additionally, organizations should adopt the principle of least privilege alongside the Zero Trust model combined with regular software access reviews. This ensures that employees only have access to the systems necessary for their roles, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. By integrating these strategies, businesses can automate and strengthen their machine identity management.
The rise in identity theft and privacy breaches has prompted many organizations to shift from centralized to decentralized identity management systems. IAM providers are leveraging blockchain technology to create decentralized identity ecosystems that are user-centric and preserve individual identities. This approach allows users to control their own identifying information, promoting greater privacy and security.
Decentralized identity systems also support identity governance and administration (IGA), aligning with regulatory compliance and the organization's data privacy and security architecture.
It comes as a surprise to no one with the recent hype on Artificial intelligence that AI can and significantly enhance the precision of security and identity identification within IAM systems. FInally a strong use case where AI can really help us improve our lives! By using machine learning (ML) algorithms, IAM systems can learn from vast amounts of user actions, behaviours, and authentication transactions. This capability allows for the detection and prediction of anomalies or security breaches. It also removes incredibly tedious manual work from humans that can spend their time better on other things.
In the future, ML systems will be capable of monitoring computer sessions to verify whether a human is using the system, predicting internal and external threats, and anticipating data breach patterns. This continuous learning and adaptation will further strengthen IAM security measures.
Despite pushback on all levels, data privacy remains a priority for authorities and as a consquence have to be a priority for companies. With increasing incidents of data leakage and privacy violations, both organizations and users are focusing more on data privacy and consent. IAM solutions must stay updated with the latest compliance requirements and policies related to user and employee data. It is important to note here that GDPR not only cares about private people but also the data rights of the employees.
New regulations mandate that IAM providers obtain user consent before storing or using personal information. While regulations like GDPR or certifications like ISO 27001 are evergreen, the upcoming NIS2 regulation in the European Union will have an impact that still needs to be seen in the next months and years. If you are looking for a partner to accompany you on this path, Corma is here for you.