Access Governance vs. Access Management

What is Access Governance?

Access Governance is a set of processes, policies, and technologies that organizations use to manage access to their systems, applications, and data. It is a critical aspect of identity governance and administration (IGA), ensuring that only authorized individuals can access specific resources and that their access rights are appropriate to their roles within the organization.

What is Access Management?

Access Management focuses on controlling users’ access to digital resources, systems, and data within an organization. It involves ensuring that only authorized individuals have the appropriate levels of access to the resources they need to perform their duties, and it includes both the technologies and processes necessary to manage and enforce these access controls to prevent unauthorized access.

For IT security managers, compliance officers, and C-suite technology leaders it is important to understand both so their organizations can leverage these practices to increase overall cybersecurity. Integrating Access Governance and user Access Management best practices can significantly enhance an organization’s overall security posture, improve operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

About Access Governance

Identity and Access Governance is a foundational infrastructure for managing access permissions, access controls, on-premises, and cloud access governance and compliance.

The underlying framework and processes involved in Access Governance include integration, authentication and authorization of user accounts, and policy enforcement.

Integrating Identity Access Governance into an organization’s IT and security infrastructure involves aligning policies, processes, and technologies to manage and control access to resources effectively. This integration should be embedded within the broader IT and Identity and Access Management governance framework to ensure that Access Governance is truly strategic for the organization.

What Are the Key Components of Access Governance?

Cloud Access Governance

Cloud Access Governance helps organizations maintain security, compliance, and operational efficiency in cloud services by extending traditional Access Governance practices to the cloud environment.

User Access Governance

User Access Governance and compliance helps organizations set permissions and roles for users to ensure they can only access the resources necessary for their job functions and reduce incidences of excess permissions. It also helps organizations satisfy regulatory standards, reduce the need for IT resources for tasks like access requests, and mitigates security risks.

Privilege Access Governance

Privilege Access Governance ensures some users have elevated permissions to sensitive data to perform critical tasks such as system administration, configuration changes, and access to sensitive data in a manner that maintains security, compliance, and reduces the risk of insider threats and data breaches.

Policy enforcement

Policy enforcement ensures that access control policies are consistently applied and adhered to across an organization’s IT environment. These policies manage accessibility, defining who can access what resources, under what conditions, and what actions they are permitted to perform. Effective policy enforcement is crucial for maintaining security, compliance, and operational integrity.

About Access Management

Access Management protects sensitive information and systems from unauthorized access by ensuring that users can quickly and securely access the resources they need without unnecessary barriers. This helps organizations meet regulatory requirements and internal access control policies while ensuring that legitimate users can access the resources they need without undue hassle.

In practice, Identity and Access Management (IAM) is implemented through a combination of software solutions (like IAM systems, firewalls, VPNs) and organizational policies. It requires continuous monitoring and updating to adapt to changes in the organization, such as new employees, evolving security threats, and changing compliance requirements.

By effectively managing access, organizations can minimize the risk of data breaches, ensure compliance with regulations, and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of their information systems.

What Are the Key Components of Access Management?

Features of Access Management include:

Authentication

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system before granting access. It ensures that the person or entity requesting access is who they claim to be. Common authentication methods include passwords, biometric verification (like fingerprints or facial recognition), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and Single Sign-On (SSO) systems.

Authorization

Authorization determines what a verified user can do once authenticated. It defines the permissions and privileges that the user has concerning specific resources, such as files, applications, or networks. Authorization mechanisms include Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), and policy-based access.

Access control policies

These policies define the rules and criteria for granting access to resources. They are usually based on the roles, attributes, or specific needs of users within an organization. Access control policies might restrict access based on job roles (e.g., only HR personnel can access employee records), time of day (e.g., only during working hours), or location (e.g., access only from within the corporate network).

Session Management

Session management tracks and controls user sessions to ensure that access remains secure during the session. This includes managing session timeouts, monitoring activity, and preventing unauthorized session hijacking. Session management tools often include features like automatic logout after inactivity, re-authentication for sensitive actions, and tracking active sessions.

Access Auditing and Reporting

Auditing and reporting provide visibility into access events, helping organizations track who accessed what, when, and from where. This is crucial for compliance, security monitoring, and incident response. Examples include audit data logs of access attempts, successful and failed logins, and changes to access permissions.

Provisioning and De-provisioning

This involves the processes of granting (provisioning) and revoking (de-provisioning) access rights as users join, move within, or leave an organization. Automated provisioning and de-provisioning help ensure that access rights are aligned with current roles and responsibilities. Many organizations use automated tools to handle these processes to reduce errors and ensure timely updates to access controls.

What Are the Key Differences Between Access Governance and Access Management?

Access Governance and Access Management are both critical components of a comprehensive security strategy, but they serve different purposes and have distinct focuses. Here is a breakdown of the key differences between the two:

Access Governance is primarily concerned with the oversight, auditing, and policy management aspects of access control. It focuses on regular user access reviews to ensure that access rights are appropriate and compliant with policies and regulations. Access Management focuses on the operational side of access control. It deals with the day-to-day implementation and enforcement of access controls, such as how users are authenticated, how their identities are verified, how access permissions are granted, and how resources are protected to ensure that users can securely access the resources they need.

Access Governance defines policies and rules that dictate who should have access to what resources, and under what conditions, regularly reviewing and certifying that access rights are appropriate and compliant with policies. Access Governance creates and manages roles for group users based on their access needs and provide audit trails for compliance.

Access Management verifies the identity of users through methods like passwords, biometrics, or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to determine what actions a user can perform once authenticated, based on their permissions. It grants or revokes access to resources based on users’ roles, job changes, or other triggers and manages user sessions to ensure that access remains secure throughout.

Access Governance tools focus on compliance, role management, and audit functionalities and are often implemented as a layer on top of existing Access Management systems, providing oversight and control over how access is managed. Access Management tools are more operational, dealing with the actual enforcement of access controls to manage user identities and their day-to-day access to resources.

Access Governance ensures that access policies are followed and that any deviations are corrected. It also provides detailed audit trails and reports that demonstrate regulatory compliance. Access Management focuses more on security by ensuring that only authorized users can access systems and data. It maintains logs of authentication and access attempts for security monitoring.

Access Governance provides ongoing oversight and management of access rights throughout their lifecycle, ensuring that access remains appropriate over time. Access Management deals with daily user access, handling the immediate technical aspects of provisioning, managing, and revoking access.

What is the Importance of Access Governance and Access Management?

Both models are important as part of an organization’s cybersecurity efforts. Access Governance plays a strategic role in security by ensuring that access policies are aligned with business objectives and compliance requirements. It helps prevent “over-provisioning” by ensuring that users only have the access they need. It also provides visibility into who has access to what resources and why, offering control mechanisms like access reviews and certifications.

Access Management plays an operational role by implementing the access policies defined by governance. It ensures secure access in real time and that users are correctly authenticated and authorized.

Importance of Access Governance

Access Governance is about the strategic oversight and compliance of access controls, ensuring that access rights are appropriate, compliant, and regularly reviewed.

Importance of Access Management

Access Management deals with the operational side of access control, dealing with the enforcement, authentication, and day-to-day management of access to resources. Both are essential and when integrated, they provide a comprehensive approach to managing and securing access within an organization.

How to Choose Between Access Governance and Access Management

In most cases, both Access Governance and Access Management are necessary. It is not a matter of Identity Access Management vs Identity Access Governance, but about where to start and where to allocate resources based on your organization’s current situation and strategic goals. Depending on specific circumstances, one may take precedence over the other or co-exist in hybrid scenarios. Here is how you can decide which to prioritize or focus on first:

Prioritize Access Governance if:

1. You need to meet strict compliance requirements.
2. You require strong oversight and auditability of access controls.
3. Your organization is complex and needs a structured, policy-driven approach to access.

Prioritize Access Management if:

1. You need to quickly secure identities and access to resources.
2. You are focused on operational efficiency and user identity management.
3. You are dealing with immediate security risks related to unauthorized access.

Who Needs Access Governance?

Access Governance should be a priority if your organization is heavily regulated or needs to demonstrate strict compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, or industry-specific standards. Access Governance ensures that you have the necessary controls, auditing, and certification processes in place to meet compliance requirements.

If you already have a robust Access Management system in place but you lack oversight, policy enforcement, and auditing capabilities, then investing in Access Governance would be the logical next step.

In larger organizations with complex hierarchies, multiple regulatory requirements, or a high degree of role diversity, Access Governance becomes more critical to ensure that access rights are appropriate across the board.

Implementing Access Governance often requires more strategic planning, stakeholder involvement, and potentially more sophisticated tools. If your organization has the resources (time, budget, personnel) to undertake this, it can provide significant long-term benefits.

If your main concern is ensuring that access controls are not just in place but are appropriate, justified, and regularly reviewed, then Access Governance should be prioritized.

If your organization is growing rapidly or planning significant changes (like mergers, acquisitions, or digital transformation initiatives), Access Governance provides a scalable framework that ensures access controls grow with the organization while remaining compliant and secure.

Who Needs Access Management?

If your primary concern is securing access to resources and managing user identities efficiently, especially in a dynamic environment (e.g., onboarding/offboarding, managing large numbers of users, etc.), then Access Management might be more immediately important. It handles the day-to-day operations of granting and revoking access, ensuring secure authentication, and managing user sessions.

If your organization has strong governance frameworks (e.g., role-based access, policies, and compliance processes, etc.) but lacks the tools to enforce these in real-time, Access Management should be your focus.

Access Management tools may be easier to implement quickly, offering immediate improvements in security and operational efficiency.

If your organization is facing immediate risks related to unauthorized access, focusing on Access Management is critical.

In organizations with less complex IT environments, starting with Access Management might be sufficient.

To quickly improve security posture or streamline operations, Access Management offers tangible benefits in terms of securing access, improving user experience, and reducing the burden on IT teams.

When Should You Utilize Access Governance and Access Management Together?

Integrating Access Governance and Access Management together provides a comprehensive approach to managing and securing access within an organization. Access Governance delivers strategic oversight and compliance of access controls, ensuring that access rights are appropriate, compliant, and regularly reviewed. Access Management manages the operational side of access control, dealing with the enforcement, authentication, and day-to-day management of access to resources.

How Can You Integrate an Identity and Access Management (IAM) Governance Framework?

Integrating an Identity and Access Management (IAM) Governance framework involves establishing policies, processes, and tools that ensure secure, compliant, and efficient management of user identities and access rights. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

Assess Current State and Define Objectives

Audit your existing IAM processes and tools to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and areas that lack governance. Evaluate your organization’s regulatory requirements, security policies, and business needs. Set clear objectives for what you want to achieve with the IAM Governance framework. This could include improving compliance, reducing risk, enhancing user experience, or streamlining operations.

Establish Governance Policies

Define who should have access to what resources, and under what conditions. Establish rules for role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), and policies for privileged access. Incorporate requirements from relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) into your governance framework. Ensure that policies cover data protection, user privacy, and auditability. Implement Separation of Duties controls to prevent conflicts of interest by ensuring that no single user has excessive control over critical processes.

Design the Governance Framework

Clearly define roles for users, administrators, auditors, and other stakeholders. Assign responsibilities for managing and overseeing IAM processes. Develop a structured role management process where roles are defined, approved, and reviewed regularly. Ensure that roles are aligned with business needs and minimize excessive access.

Establish Access Certification Processes

Implement regular access reviews and certification processes. Ensure that managers and data owners review and approve access rights periodically to maintain compliance.

Select and Implement IAM Tools

Select IAM tools that support governance features like role management, access reviews, and audit trails. Tools like SailPoint, Okta, and Oracle Identity Governance can be considered. Ensure the IAM tools integrate well with your existing IT infrastructure, including directories, applications, and cloud services. Where possible, automate provisioning, de-provisioning, access reviews, and audit reporting to reduce manual effort and improve accuracy.

Implement Access Governance Controls

Implement a self-service portal for access requests that incorporates automated workflows for approval and provisioning. Ensure that requests are logged and tracked for audit purposes. Use IAM tools to enforce compliance with governance policies, such as automatically enforcing password policies, MFA, and SoD rules. Implement real-time monitoring of access activities. Set up alerts for unusual access patterns or policy violations, enabling prompt responses to potential security incidents.

Conduct Training and Change Management

Train users on how to use IAM systems, including how to request access, review access rights, and comply with policies. Provide specialized training for administrators and auditors on managing the IAM system, conducting access reviews, and generating audit reports. Develop a change management plan to ensure smooth adoption of the new governance framework. Communicate the benefits and objectives clearly to all stakeholders.

Continuous Monitoring and Improvement

Conduct regular audits to ensure that IAM processes and controls are functioning as intended. Use audit findings to improve and refine your governance framework. Schedule periodic access reviews and recertification processes to ensure that users’ access rights remain appropriate and aligned with their current roles. Establish feedback mechanisms for users and administrators to report issues or suggest improvements to the IAM governance framework.

Leverage Analytics and Reporting

Use analytics to gain insights into access patterns, potential risks, and compliance status. This data can help identify trends, detect anomalies, and guide decision-making. Ensure that your IAM system can generate reports that demonstrate compliance with internal policies and external regulations. This is crucial for audits and regulatory reviews.

Integrate with Broader Security and IT Strategy

Ensure that your IAM governance framework is aligned with your overall cybersecurity strategy, including incident response, data protection, and risk management policies. Integrate IAM governance with other IT governance frameworks, such as IT service management (ITSM) and data governance, to ensure a holistic approach to managing and securing IT resources.

Review and Update Regularly

Regularly review and update the IAM governance framework to adapt to changes in technology, business processes, and regulatory environments. Stay informed about new threats and IAM best practices. Engage with stakeholders periodically to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments to ensure that the framework continues to meet organizational needs.

What Are the Benefits of Integration?

Integrating an IAM Governance framework that aligns with your organization’s security, compliance, and operational goals enhances security, ensures compliance and audit readiness, and improves operational efficiency and visibility.

Conclusion

While Access Governance and Access Management are both important for a comprehensive security strategy, they serve different purposes and have distinct focuses. Access Governance aligns policies, processes, and technologies to manage and control access to resources effectively. Access Management protects organizational assets from unauthorized access and enforces the principle of least privilege by ensuring that users can quickly and securely access the resources they need without hassle.

Integrated together, Access Governance and Access Management provide a comprehensive approach to managing and securing access within an organization. Access Governance delivers strategic oversight and compliance of access controls, ensuring that access rights are appropriate, compliant, and regularly reviewed. Access Management manages the operational side of access control, dealing with the enforcement, authentication, and day-to-day management of access to resources.

Omada provides services for both and is a leading choice for organizations that need to enhance their overall security posture.