Why does The IGA Project Fail? Top 8 Reasons

Many IGA projects fail due to the complexities of managing identities, roles, and access across diverse IT environments. This can lead to security breaches, compliance issues, and operational inefficiencies, but the reasons aren't limited to these. This blog explains why IGA projects fail and how to prevent them.

With 94% of organizations reporting an identity-related breach at some point, a solid IGA strategy is necessary. However, deploying IGA can be a significant challenge. It affects nearly every person, application, infrastructure component, and dataset within increasingly complex IT environments. This complexity often leads to difficulties in successful implementation and management, making IGA projects prone to failure if not carefully handled.

Gartner's findings reveal a concerning reality: over 50% of IGA deployments face distress and fail to meet functional, budgetary, or timing commitments. This statistic is particularly alarming, considering that a majority of today's data breaches stem from identity-related issues. Thus, IT & security teams need to ensure the successful launch and long-term effectiveness of their IGA initiatives.

In this blog, we will explore why the IGA project fails and provide key tips to prevent them. But first, let's understand why IGA Programmes are important for your organization.

Importance Of IGA In Organizational Security

Identity governance and administration (IGA) is a cornerstone of robust organizational security and compliance frameworks. At its core, IGA ensures that the right individuals have the appropriate access to critical resources at the right times, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches. In an era where data breaches are increasingly common and costly, implementing a strong IGA strategy is vital for protecting sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of organizational systems.

1: Makes Organization Security-Proof By enforcing strict Measures

From a security perspective, IGA helps organizations enforce stringent access controls, manage user identities efficiently, and monitor access patterns for suspicious activities. By automating these processes, IGA minimizes human errors and ensures that security policies are consistently applied across all systems and applications. This proactive approach to identity management protects against external threats and mitigates insider risks, which are often harder to detect and prevent.

2: Ensures Compliance Adherence by Aligning with Regulatory Requirements & Internal Policies

Compliance is another critical area in which IGA plays a pivotal role. Regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and others mandate stringent access controls and audit trails to protect sensitive data and ensure accountability. IGA provides the necessary tools and processes to meet these regulatory demands by ensuring that access to sensitive information is granted based on defined policies and revoked promptly when no longer needed. Comprehensive audit trails generated by IGA systems enable organizations to demonstrate compliance during audits and reduce the risk of penalties associated with non-compliance.

3: Drives Operational Efficiency through Automated Identity Management

Moreover, IGA enhances operational efficiency by automating identity lifecycle management, including provisioning, deprovisioning, and access reviews. This automation reduces the administrative burden on IT and security teams, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives. It also ensures that employees have timely access to the necessary resources, improving productivity and reducing downtime.

Thus, the importance of IGA in organizational security and compliance cannot be overstated. By providing a structured and automated approach to identity and access management, IGA strengthens security, helps meet regulatory requirements, and improves overall operational efficiency. Organizations that invest in robust IGA solutions are better equipped to protect their assets, ensure compliance, and adapt to the evolving security landscape.

The Core Capabilities Of the IGA Program

An effective identity governance and administration (IGA) program is essential for managing user access, ensuring security, and maintaining compliance within an organization. Here are some core capabilities of a successful IGA program.

1. Connectivity and Fulfillment

• Synchronize Identity Attributes: Integrating identity attributes and access entitlements from authoritative sources ensures consistency and accuracy. This involves integrating HR databases, LDAP directories, and other identity stores to synchronize user data across the organization.
• Provision and Deprovision Access: Automating the process of granting and revoking access improves efficiency and enhances security. This ensures new employees get the necessary access on their first day, while those leaving the organization lose access immediately, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

2. Identity Lifecycle Management

• Onboarding: Ensuring new employees have immediate access to necessary systems minimizes downtime and helps them become productive quickly. This includes setting up accounts, email, and permissions based on their role.
• Role Changes: Employees' access needs often change when they change roles or take on new projects. Automated access requests and approvals ensure they have the access required for their new responsibilities without manual intervention.
• Offboarding: Quickly removing access for departing employees prevents potential security breaches. This process includes disabling accounts, revoking permissions, and ensuring no residual access remains.

3. Access Requests and Reviews

• User Empowerment: Enabling users to request access through a self-service portal simplifies the process and reduces administrative workload. Users can see which resources they can request and the approval workflow.
• Administrator Reviews: Administrators efficiently review and approve access requests, ensuring only authorized personnel gain access. An audit trail logs every request and approval, providing transparency and compliance.

4. Role Management and Governance

• Role Creation and Maintenance: Developing roles based on similar attributes among user groups ensures access rights are appropriately aligned with job functions. Roles should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect organizational changes.
• Visibility: Providing full visibility into role assignments and access rights allows for better management and oversight. This visibility helps identify redundant roles and consolidate them to reduce complexity.

5. Access Certification

• Continuous Monitoring: Regularly checking that employees' access rights align with their current roles ensures access remains appropriate. This involves periodic reviews and certifications of access permissions.
• Right-Sizing Access: Adjusting access to match current needs prevents the accumulation of unnecessary permissions, reducing security risks. This includes identifying and removing access that is no longer needed or used.

6. Separation of Duties (SoD)

• Fraud Prevention: Implementing SoD controls helps prevent conflicts of interest by ensuring that critical tasks require multiple individuals. For example, separating roles in financial transactions prevents any one person from initiating and approving the same transaction.
• Mitigation of Toxic Combinations: Identifying and addressing toxic combinations of access rights before they can cause harm reduces the risk of fraud and errors. This involves setting policies and rules to prevent such combinations.

7. Audit and Reporting

• Historical Data Tracking: Keeping detailed records of all access changes and rights over time supports audits and compliance checks. This data helps understand how access has evolved and identify any discrepancies.
• Service Monitoring: Monitoring access-related services and tracking KPIs ensures that the IGA system functions correctly and meets organizational goals. Regular reports provide insights into system performance and areas for improvement.

Key Reasons Why The IGA Project Fails

Here are some key reasons why IGA projects fail, shedding light on common pitfalls and offering insights into how these issues can be addressed.

1: Lack of Clear Objectives & Goals Leads To Confusion & Uncertainty

Without clear objectives and goals, IGA projects lack direction and purpose. This leads to confusion among team members and stakeholders, as they are unsure of what they are working towards. Unclear goals make it difficult to measure progress and success, increasing the likelihood of project failure as teams may focus on the wrong priorities or miss critical milestones.

For example, if you initiate an IGA project without clearly defining specific outcomes or measurable goals, team members and stakeholders may be unsure of what success looks like, leading to confusion and divergent efforts. It may also become challenging for them to gauge progress and prioritize tasks effectively.

Without clear objectives, teams may focus on the wrong priorities or miss critical milestones, ultimately leading to project failure.

2: Poor Planning & Project Management Contribute To Delays & Misalignment

Inadequate planning and project management are major contributors to IGA project failures. Underestimating the project scope, timelines, and resource requirements often results in projects being delayed, exceeding budget, and compromising on quality. Without a well-defined plan and effective project management processes, projects become disorganized and inefficient, leading to poor outcomes.

For instance, a large financial firm implements a comprehensive IGA system to enhance security and compliance across its global operations.  The project timeline is set without sufficient consultation with IT operations and security teams. As a result, the project schedule does not account for necessary testing phases, data migration challenges, and end-user training sessions.  

Moreover, the absence of a detailed plan and effective project management processes results in tasks being assigned without clear accountability, underscoring the importance of this aspect in project management.

Ultimately, the IGA project experiences significant delays, exceeds the allocated budget, and fails to deliver the intended scope and quality.

3: Inadequate Stakeholder Engagement Results In Lack Of Support & Understanding

Failing to engage key stakeholders throughout the IGA project lifecycle results in misaligning expectations and priorities. This lack of involvement can lead to resistance from those who feel excluded from decision-making processes, misunderstandings about project goals, and, ultimately, a lack of support. Without stakeholder buy-in, projects are more likely to encounter obstacles that could have been mitigated through early and continuous engagement.

For instance, a healthcare organization decides to implement a new IGA system to strengthen data security and compliance with healthcare regulations. The project team includes IT & security teams and compliance officers responsible for overseeing the implementation process. However, key clinical department heads and frontline healthcare providers, who are also important stakeholders, have not been actively engaged in the project from the beginning.

Such instances can lead to ongoing friction between IT/security teams and clinical departments, which hinders collaboration and compromises the project's overall effectiveness.

4: Insufficient Resources & Budgeting Hinder The Project's Scope & Effectiveness

The success of IGA projects heavily depends on allocating adequate resources in terms of budget and personnel. Insufficient funding and staffing can severely hamper project execution, causing delays, missed objectives, and compromised quality. Without the necessary resources, projects struggle to address challenges and deliver desired outcomes within the allocated timeframe.

With limited funding and staffing, the project experiences delays in procuring necessary software licenses, hardware infrastructure, and consulting services. Due to resource constraints, critical project milestones, such as system testing and user training, are postponed.

Further, to stay within budget constraints, corners are cut during implementation, leading to suboptimal configuration of security policies and access controls. As a result, the effectiveness of the IGA solution in mitigating security risks and ensuring compliance is compromised.

5: Technical Challenges & Integration Issues Impede Project Progress

Technical complexities and integration challenges, such as dealing with legacy systems, disparate data sources, and compatibility issues, pose significant obstacles to IGA project success. Inadequate planning and expertise in addressing these challenges can result in significant delays and failures. Further, technical problems can disrupt project timelines, inflate costs, and ultimately prevent successful implementation.

Let's say the new IGA system requires compatibility with various operating systems, databases, and middleware used within the telecommunications company's IT infrastructure. Compatibility issues arise when synchronizing user identities, roles, and access permissions across heterogeneous environments.

As a result, these technical problems in the integration phase lead to delays in project timelines and unexpected costs.

6: Resistance To Change Slows Down implementation

Organizational resistance to change is a significant barrier to adopting and implementing IGA initiatives. Employees, management, or other stakeholders may resist changes due to cultural barriers, fear of job loss, or reluctance to embrace new technologies. This resistance impedes progress, creates friction within teams, and contributes to project failure.

Let’s say your team is accustomed to traditional data access and management methods. Introducing a new IGA system requires them to adopt unfamiliar technologies and adhere to stricter access control policies, challenging their established work routines and practices. They prefer to continue using familiar systems and procedures, resisting adopting new technologies and processes.

The resistance to change creates tension and disagreements within teams responsible for implementing the IGA system. Thus, it delays decision-making processes and prolongs the implementation timeline, preventing the project from progressing as planned.

7: Lack Of Expertise & Training Leads To Inefficiencies & Errors

The success of IGA projects relies on the expertise and training of project team members and stakeholders. Insufficient knowledge and skills in identity governance and administration best practices, concepts, and tools result in suboptimal project outcomes. Skill gaps and inadequate training increase the risk of project failure, as teams may struggle to implement and manage IGA solutions effectively.

Without adequate training, project team members struggle to navigate the complexities of the IGA system. They may inefficiently handle user access requests, fail to conduct regular access reviews, or overlook important security configurations, which impact operational efficiency and increase the risk of errors.

Further, due to a lack of expertise, the project team may fail to fully optimize the capabilities of the IGA system. Team members may encounter technical issues or compliance violations that they are ill-prepared to address, jeopardizing the overall success of the IGA project.

8: Failure To Monitor & Adapt To Changing Requirements Prevents Project Success

Neglecting to monitor project progress, performance, and risks and failing to adapt to changing circumstances and requirements are common reasons for IGA project failures. Projects cannot address emerging challenges and ensure alignment with organizational goals without continuous monitoring and proactive adjustments. This lack of adaptability can lead to stagnation, missed opportunities, and project failure.

For instance, a finance company initiates an IGA project to strengthen identity management practices and comply with regulatory requirements. During the initial phases of the project, the project team successfully deployed the IGA system based on current regulatory requirements and organizational policies. However, they do not establish robust mechanisms for monitoring project progress, performance metrics, or potential risks.

Over time, regulatory requirements governing data privacy and security evolve, requiring financial institutions to implement stricter controls and reporting mechanisms. The project team fails to monitor these regulatory changes and does not adapt the IGA system accordingly to ensure ongoing compliance.

As a result, regulatory non-compliance issues arise, security incidents increase, and operational inefficiencies emerge as the system fails to meet evolving business needs and regulatory expectations.

By mitigating these risks and challenges, organizations can increase the likelihood of IGA project success and effectively achieve their security and compliance objectives.

How To Increase Wins & Success Rates For IGA Projects?

Implementing Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) projects successfully requires a strategic approach. Focusing on project sequence management, leveraging automation, and streamlining the user access review (UAR) process can significantly enhance success rates. Here's how:-

1: Adopt Project Sequence Management

• Start with Compliance Functions: Begin the project with phases that deliver immediate value, such as user access reviews for critical applications. This initial focus on compliance functions provides quick wins, demonstrating the project's value early on.
• Establish a Strong Foundation: Integrate with key systems such as the HR system, directory services, and critical applications. This foundational work is essential for the success of future phases and ensures that the IGA system is built on a robust and scalable base.
• Address Immediate Needs: By prioritizing integrations that support GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance), Audit, and Security teams, you address their most pressing challenges, such as manual processes and outdated IGA campaign-building methods.
• Improve User Experience: Enhancing the user access review process for supervisors and application owners reduces the administrative burden and improves overall efficiency. This also delivers tangible benefits to a broad user base within the organization.
• Positive Executive Impact: Focusing on compliance first helps mitigate legal risks, such as SOX violations, providing peace of mind to the executive team and reinforcing the project's value.

2: Leverage Platforms with Strong Automation Capabilities

• Reduce Custom Development Needs: Choose platforms like Zluri that offer robust out-of-the-box automation features. Avoid solutions that require extensive custom development, which can introduce risks to project timelines and increase the likelihood of integration issues.
• Validate Integration Capabilities: During selection, test the platform's ability to integrate directly with your critical applications. This validation ensures that the platform meets your needs and can deliver the expected time-to-value.
• Include All Relevant Systems: Ensure the platform can handle integrations with custom applications, key third-party vendors, and SaaS applications. This comprehensive approach supports your compliance efforts and ensures no critical systems are left out.

3: Streamline the User Access Review Process

• Use Access Review Platforms: Opt for user access review tools capable of monitoring user access and promptly identifying unauthorized or inappropriate access attempts. This allows you to mitigate potential risks before they escalate into compliance violations or security breaches. This proactive approach strengthens compliance and enhances your overall cybersecurity posture.
• Stay Secure & Audit-Ready: Zluri offers an automated access review solution that automates the review process, saving you valuable time and resources. Instead of manually reviewing user access rights and permissions, the platform automatically identifies and flags inconsistencies or violations. It helps your team easily identify which users have access to which SaaS apps and data, along with their permission levels. Its standout features provide accurate data points, making access reviews simple and hassle-free.

Further, the platform offers a comprehensive audit trail of all access review activities, providing invaluable documentation during compliance audits. This allows you to demonstrate regulatory compliance, quickly generate reports, and present evidence to satisfy auditors, reducing the burden of compliance-related documentation.

• Enhanced User Experience: Streamlining the UAR process makes it more manageable for reviewers, reducing the likelihood of delays and incomplete reviews. This approach improves compliance and enhances the overall user experience, leading to higher engagement and more successful outcomes.

By focusing on these key strategies—effective project sequence management, leveraging automation, and streamlining the UAR process—organizations can significantly increase the success rates of their IGA projects. This comprehensive approach ensures that projects deliver value quickly, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, and enhance overall operational efficiency and compliance.

Get Successful IGA Outcomes With The Right Strategy

Understanding why the IGA project fails is the first step towards ensuring its success in the future. Common pitfalls such as lack of clear objectives, poor planning, inadequate stakeholder engagement, insufficient resources, technical challenges, resistance to change, lack of expertise, and failure to monitor and adapt can derail even the most well-intentioned projects.

To increase the likelihood of success, it is crucial to set clear and measurable goals from the outset, plan meticulously, and engage stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. Allocating adequate resources and budgeting effectively are essential to avoid disruptions. Addressing technical challenges proactively, fostering a culture open to change, and investing in training and expertise will significantly enhance project outcomes. Continuous monitoring and the ability to adapt to evolving circumstances ensure that projects remain aligned with organizational goals.

By learning from past failures and implementing these best practices, organizations can overcome the obstacles that have historically hindered IGA projects. This proactive approach will lead to more robust, efficient, and compliant identity governance, ultimately protecting the organization and supporting its strategic objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1: What is the IGA strategy?

An effective IGA strategy involves:

• Setting clear objectives
• Planning meticulously
• Engaging stakeholders
• Allocating adequate resources
• Addressing technical challenges
• Fostering a culture open to change
• Investing in training
• Continuously monitoring and adapting to ensure alignment with organizational goals

2: Why do we need IGA?

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) are essential for managing and securing user identities. They ensure that only the right individuals have access to the right resources at the right times, helping organizations maintain compliance, enhance security, and streamline access management processes.

3: What are the benefits of a successful IGA implementation?

Successful IGA implementation improves security by ensuring appropriate access control and enhances compliance by providing audit trails and meeting regulatory requirements. Further, it increases operational efficiency by automating identity and access management processes.

4: What role do stakeholders play in IGA projects?

Stakeholders are crucial in IGA projects, as their engagement ensures alignment with business goals, supports change management, provides necessary resources, and helps identify and address potential issues early in the project lifecycle.