Organizations across sectors around the world face a dual challenge: they must counter increasingly sophisticated and pervasive cyber threats while grappling with constrained budgets and relentless cost-cutting.
The pressures are especially intense in identity security where attack surfaces grow and IT budgets tighten as organizations scale, yet internal and external stakeholders increasingly demand better security and digital experiences. Employees need quick and easy access to business applications, for example, and customers demand seamless omnichannel interactions; both are less tolerant of usernames and passwords.
Our research and experience suggest that every dollar invested in identity security delivers disproportionately higher returns, “bending” the identity security-to-value curve. These disproportionately higher returns are observed through higher risk reduction, business value, and productivity. Strategic investment in IAM delivers outsized returns by unlocking new value pools such as enhanced capability coverage and data analytics, automation, lower cyber insurance premiums, and improved compliance.
To lobby their organizations for the necessary financial and human resources, IT leaders need to understand and explain what will drive the most value—and use those resources wisely. When it comes to identity security, the case for investment is strong.