Most cyberattacks don't begin with sophisticated malware or a previously unknown vulnerability; they begin with a legitimate credential being misused. Whether it's a compromised password, an employee with unnecessary access, or an account that remained active after an employee left, inadequate identity control continues to be a major gateway for security incidents.

This environment becomes even more relevant as companies expand their use of cloud applications, hybrid work models, and mobile devices. According to Microsoft , more than 99,9% of account compromise attempts can be blocked using multi-factor authentication (MFA) , but effective protection depends on a broader identity and access management (IAM) strategy.

In this article, you will understand what identity management is, how it works in practice, what risks arise when access control is neglected, and how to build a strategy capable of protecting users, applications, and critical information without compromising productivity.

What is identity management and why has it become essential?

For a long time, controlling access meant creating a user in Active Directory , setting a password, and granting permissions according to the employee's role. This model worked when virtually all the infrastructure was within the company.

Today, the reality is different; a single user can access Microsoft 365, Salesforce, internal systems, cloud applications, financial platforms, and collaborative tools from different devices and locations. The larger this ecosystem, the greater the difficulty in controlling who can access each resource. It is in this context that Identity and Access Management (IAM) emerges.

More than just managing users, an IAM solution ensures that each person has access only to the resources necessary to perform their activities, during the time they actually need them.

This approach reduces operational risks, improves governance, and facilitates audits, especially in companies subject to the LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law ), ISO 27001 , and other compliance standards.

What is the difference between identity management and access management?

Although they are often treated as synonyms, identity and access represent different concepts within information security.

Imagine a collaborator being promoted to a leadership role. Without a structured IAM strategy, the IT team would need to manually change all permissions across various systems. This process increases the chance of errors, creates excessive privileges, and can leave old accesses active for months.

With an identity management platform, this update happens automatically based on the change in role, reducing operational work and eliminating inconsistencies.

How does an Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution work?

Although several platforms exist on the market, virtually all follow the same principle: centralizing users' digital identity and using that identity to control access to corporate resources. This happens through some fundamental components:

Automatic user provisioning

Whenever an employee joins the company, the solution creates their accounts, associates them with security groups, and grants only the access necessary for their role.

Authentication

Responsible for verifying that the user is indeed who they claim to be. Currently, this validation goes far beyond the simple username and password combination. Resources such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, digital certificates, and passwordless authentication are now used. 

Single Sign On (SSO)

It allows the user to perform a single login to access various corporate applications without having to memorize dozens of different passwords. 

In addition to improving the employee experience, SSO reduces the number of stored credentials and simplifies access management.

What risks does your company face without identity management?

According to the State of Ransomware report by Sophos, published by Exame magazine , 79% of ransomware attacks analyzed begin with a compromised identity, such as a stolen login or password . The survey shows an important shift in criminal behavior: for the first time in four years, exploiting software vulnerabilities is no longer the primary entry point.

It's common for employees to change roles, take on new responsibilities, or temporarily participate in specific projects. Without a structured process, these access permissions end up accumulating and are rarely reviewed. The result is an environment where users have far more permissions than are necessary to perform their tasks.

Therefore, controlling access goes far beyond creating users; it's necessary to define timeframes, review permissions periodically, monitor privileged activities, and remove access immediately when it's no longer needed. For larger incidents, our content on what to do if your company falls victim to a ransomware attack delves deeper into how to structure the response in the first few hours.

How does identity management help with LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) and audits?

Beyond security, identity management also plays a fundamental role in corporate governance. The General Data Protection Law (LGPD) mandates that organizations adopt technical and administrative measures capable of protecting personal information against unauthorized access.

An IAM solution allows you to log all authentications, permission changes, and activities performed by users, creating a complete audit trail.

In addition to meeting regulatory requirements, this information speeds up incident investigations and supports risk management decisions.

How do you implement an identity management strategy in your company?

There is no single solution for all organizations, but more mature companies tend to follow similar steps. The first step is to map all existing identities, including employees, third parties, service accounts, and privileged users.

Next, it's necessary to review permissions, remove unnecessary access, and define clear criteria for granting privileges. After that, resources such as the following come into play:

More important than implementing technology is establishing processes capable of keeping pace with the organization's natural changes. Identity management is not a project with a beginning and an end; it is a continuous governance process.

Frequently asked questions about identity management

Many questions arise when IT managers and security leaders begin to structure an Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy in their companies. The questions below frequently appear in organizations seeking to reduce excessive privileges, control employee and third-party access, and strengthen the protection of corporate systems and data. 

The answers were organized to support both technical decisions and alignment between IT, security, and business areas, and can serve as an initial reference before a more in-depth assessment of your operation's access management. 

Is identity management only useful for large companies?

No, companies of any size manage users, systems, and sensitive information. The smaller the IT infrastructure, the greater the benefit of automating access processes tends to be.

Does MFA completely eliminate the risk of intrusion?

No, multifactor authentication significantly reduces risk, but it must be combined with access policies, continuous monitoring, and periodic privilege review.

What is the difference between AMI and PAM?

IAM controls the identities and access of all users in the organization. Privileged Access Management (PAM), on the other hand, is specifically geared towards administrative accounts and elevated privileges.

Is it possible to integrate legacy systems with identity management?

Yes, most modern platforms offer connectors and APIs for integration with local applications and cloud services, allowing for centralized access management.

Access control begins with identity.

Firewalls, antivirus software, backups, and monitoring tools remain essential for protecting the corporate environment. However, none of these layers can prevent a user with excessive permissions from accessing information they should never see.

At Ayko Technology , we help companies structure comprehensive Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategies, integrating solutions such as Microsoft Entra ID, multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, identity governance, and continuous monitoring. The goal is to ensure that each user only has access to what they truly need, protecting the business without compromising productivity.

If your company is looking for greater security, governance, and control over corporate access, talk to our experts and discover how to build an identity management strategy prepared for current and future challenges.