Identity Governance Blog

Balancing Security and Efficiency: The Role of IGA in Modern Business Operations

Balancing rapid access to systems with strong security measures is a critical challenge for global organizations today. Effective Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) plays a key role in enabling this balance by managing access rights efficiently without compromising security.

A common but difficult problem currently facing global organizations is providing fast, seamless access to systems for employees and partners without compromising security.

IT teams are often laser-focused on keeping the lights on ensuring users have what is needed instantly to stay productive. Meanwhile, risk and compliance leaders are emphasizing rigorous controls to protect sensitive data and meet audit requirements. The common refrain — “security means inefficiency, and efficiency means insecurity” — captures the real tension and the costly consequences if balance is not achieved, including data breaches, regulatory fines, and disrupted operations.

 

Understanding the Stakes

The risks tied to this balance are very real. Identity is the most common attack vector exploited today: not primarily because users act maliciously, but often due to poorly governed access rights.

At the same time, cloud technologies enhance user convenience with identity management features like single sign-on. Enhancing user convenience in itself increases complexity and expands security risks, rendering manual access management ineffective and dangerous.

The challenge of managing identity access carefully is critical because mistakes can have serious consequences. Granting access without proper controls can result in data breaches or insider threats, while being overly restrictive can slow down business processes and frustrate users. When approval workflows are slow or complicated, employees may try risky workarounds that bypass security policies, increasing organizational risk. Additionally, without real-time visibility into who has access and where vulnerabilities exist, security teams are often forced to respond only after harm has been done instead of preventing incidents proactively.

 

Smart IGA is the Strategic Enabler

Granting access requires a clear, relevant reason tied to the user’s role, whether through predefined policies like role-based access control or individual approval by the right authority. Access should be granted immediately to avoid delays and keep workflows efficient, with a fast and simple approval process for authorized approvers. Importantly, not all granted access is actively used: many permissions remain dormant, creating unnecessary risk, which should be remediated. Having visibility into those who actually need access is essential for reducing these unused permissions and minimizing vulnerabilities.

Modern IGA solutions support this by combining context-driven access decisions, streamlined approvals, and real-time risk visibility, while emphasizing that effective governance relies on the balance of people, processes, and technology.

This approach helps organizations protect sensitive resources without sacrificing business agility.

Omada’s recent webinar on this topic is the perfect place to start. Gain expert insights and real-world examples of practical strategies to balance security and efficiency.

Listen on demand here: Balancing Security and Efficiency: The Role of IGA in Modern Business Operations

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