Reading an article by Earl Perkins titled Data Meets Applications in Identity and Access Governance, I was struck by the distinction he makes between application and data access governance.  From an IAM professional's point of view, they should be one and the same thing...access to resources for their users.

But, apparently, our competitors haven't always thought that way.  He talks about how IAM suite vendors (we are one) are squeezing out point solutions by buying companies and product lines to integrate data access governance into traditional IAM.  EmpowerID is one step ahead of that curve (at least one step!).

EmpowerID's platform incorporates role based access control (RBAC) into all aspects of IAM: provisioning, authentication, synchronization, and, yes, access governance.  This ability to manage any IAM workflow based on roles or even attributes (ABAC) and integrate them into any IAM process is what makes our access governance abilities unique.

We don't have to distinguish between data and application access when granting privileges.  Either are simply resources to empowerID.  The same role structure, the same access request workflows, the same user interfaces apply whether asking for access to Salesforce.com or that folder in the Windows file system, or the shared Exchange mailbox. 

If your role has access, you have access.  If you want to request access, it is the same UI and a resource-appopriate approval process.

For data access governance, we have taken it one step further.  Most solutions offer you one of two ways to request access: 1) request access to a file or folder, or 2) request access to the group that is granting access.  EmpowerID adds the option of requesting access to a role.

No two users think of this process in the same way.  Those who prefer option 1 think of it as, "I need access to that data", those who prefer option 2 think, "what do I need to get access to data", and the third think, "who gets access to that data."

An access governance solution should be able to provide all three options (within limits of course) to satisfy the left brain, the right brain and the all brain thinkers.  Not just for data but application access as well. 

I dislike square peg round hole situations.  If you consider your access governance and IAM solution to be a peg, make it malleable to fit your own businesss situations, processes and policies.  Let us show you a personalized demonstration to see how empowerID can fit into your business and improve access governance.