Identity Management Day 2025: Strengthening Security for Human and Non-Human Identities

Identity Management Day, established in 2021 by the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA) in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Alliance, serves as a pivotal reminder of the necessity of safeguarding our digital identities. Scheduled for April 8, 2025, this annual event aims to educate individuals, businesses, and IT leaders about the importance of robust identity management and the potential risks associated with neglecting it.

Register today: https://www.accelevents.com/e/Identity-Management-Day-2025-Virtual-Conference

The Significance of Identity Management

Identity management encompasses the policies, processes, and technologies that ensure the right individuals and machines access the appropriate resources at the right times for the right reasons. Its significance cannot be overstated, especially when considering the alarming statistics:

• 79% of organizations experienced an identity-related security breach in the past two years.
• 99% of those breaches were deemed preventable.
• 81% of hacking-related breaches leveraged weak, stolen, or otherwise compromised passwords.

These figures underscore the pressing need for comprehensive identity management strategies to protect both personal and organizational data.

Theme for 2025: Existential Identity

The theme for Identity Management Day 2025 is "Existential Identity." This concept delves into the evolving nature of identity in our digital landscape, where individuals often maintain multiple personas across various platforms, and non-human identities—such as AI-driven agents and machine identities—play increasingly prominent roles. As these identities proliferate, understanding and managing them becomes paramount to ensure security and trust in digital interactions.

Best Practices for Identity Management

To strengthen identity management practices, organizations should consider the following best practices:

1. Comprehensive Inventory of Identities: Develop and maintain a comprehensive inventory of all identities, including non-human identities (NHIs) and humans, along with their respective human owners.
2. Risk Assessment: Assess the risks linked to each NHI, including inactive service accounts, outdated keys, and over-privileged access.
3. Governance and Lifecycle Management: Assign governance responsibilities to service owners, including workflows for secret rotations, onboarding and offboarding of NHIs, and risk remediation.
4. Adopt Just-in-Time (JIT) Access: Minimize standing privileges by granting permissions only when needed, reducing risk without significantly increasing friction.
5. Implement Continuous Monitoring: Set up real-time monitoring for unusual NHI behavior, such as unexpected credential usage, to detect and mitigate identity-based threats.

How to Participate and #BeIdentitySmart

Engagement in Identity Management Day offers numerous opportunities to enhance your understanding and practices:

• Attend the Virtual Conference: On April 8, 2025, identity and security leaders will convene for a virtual conference to discuss current challenges and strategies in identity management. This event is free and open to all interested parties. P0 will be participating in the virtual conference, and attendees can stop by our virtual booth to learn more about how we help organizations strengthen their identity governance. Visit our website to explore our solutions and see how we can support your identity management needs.
• Become an Identity Management Champion: Organizations that prioritize identity management and security can join the ranks of Identity Management Champions, showcasing their commitment to reducing risk and enabling secure business operations.
• Access Educational Resources: The IDSA provides a wealth of resources, including best practices, webinars, and case studies, to help individuals and organizations bolster their identity management frameworks.

You don’t have to wait for Identity Management Day to take action. Read our latest insights on identity governance and security to stay ahead of threats. Book a meeting with us to learn how we can help your organization secure both human and non-human identities with a unified approach to access governance.