The cybersecurity world recently recognized Identity Management Day. Held on April 8, Identity Management Day was first established in 2021 in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Alliance and promotes awareness and educates business leaders, IT decision makers, and the general public about the importance of more effective identity management.
To celebrate this year’s Identity Management Day, the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA), the National Cybersecurity Alliance, and other organizations called attention to the need to secure all types of identities in an increasingly complex digital world.
“Identity Management Day is also a reminder that the conversation around identity has fundamentally changed,” said Piyush Pandey, CEO of Pathlock. “Past approaches to identity governance have started to fall short as new access risks continue to emerge in the myriad business applications and as users’ roles change throughout their careers.”
Identity: The New Perimeter to Defend
In the past, enterprise security was built around the concept of a hardened perimeter, built of VPNs, firewalls, and physical networks that were designed to keep threats out. Yet in today’s world of cloud-based platforms, mobile workforces, and distributed IT environments, this type of perimeter no longer exists.
Instead, identity has become the new security perimeter. Now, every user, device, application, and machine acts as a potential point of entry or compromise. It’s important to recognize this shift since identity today isn’t about logging in, it’s about companies understanding who (or what) should access, what, when, and why.
The Rise of Identity-Related Threats
The need for new technology and approaches is driven by the fact that identity-related threats are on the rise, with compromised credentials and misused access driving the majority of today’s breaches. The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) found that nearly 50% of breaches involved stolen credentials, demonstrating just how often attackers target identity as the path of least resistance.
These threat actors are now combining conventional tactics with innovative new techniques to identify and exploit identity gaps. For example, phishing campaigns are still popular and often highly effective, while new MFA fatigue attacks – designed to overwhelm employees with a high number of push notifications – are becoming a growing concern. As always, overprovisioned access, unmanaged orphan accounts, and unmonitored service identities can all create potential entry points that can be overlooked.
Traditional IAM Falls Short
Facing these new threats, organizations now need more than just traditional identity access management (IAM) solutions; they need identity security technology and tools that are dynamic, intelligent, and automated.
In this new world, IAM systems are no longer sufficient for modern IT environments. Originally designed for on-premises systems, IAM solutions can’t provide the flexibility needed for multi-cloud, hybrid, and machine-based environments. Legacy IAM tools struggle with dynamic access needs, such as just-in-time provisioning, and simply can’t provide the real-time threat detection capabilities required today.
Research from Dark Reading found that most organizations lack the ability to monitor identity in real time, especially across multi-cloud infrastructure, leaving them vulnerable to breaches. As the total number of cloud apps, unmanaged devices, and third-party integrations increases, traditional IAM systems will continue to fall short in addressing the complexities of modern identity security.
The Move to More Effective Identity Security
Emerging technologies may present a better alternative. Zero trust architecture, decentralized identity, passwordless authentication, and AI-driven security are currently revolutionizing identity management.
Additionally, AI-powered tools, including large language models (LLMs), are enabling real-time access decisions by analyzing vast data sets to detect anomalies, enforce least privilege, and streamline governance. With continuous, context-aware authentication and dynamic policy enforcement, organizations can better manage access in today’s cloud-first, hybrid environments.
According to Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, security professionals should also change old ways of thinking and embrace the role new technology can play. “The question isn’t how to hide your identity. It’s how to operate safely in a world where your personal and professional information is already exposed,” he said.
“This is where tools make a difference, especially those that can give you visibility into what’s exposed and how it’s being used. Organizations should also use technology to monitor for threats, automate offboarding to close access groups, reassign ownership, rotate credentials, and put guardrails in place to detect unusual activity early.”
Rom Carmel, Cofounder and CEO of Apono, also emphasized this shift. “This Identity Management Day, we should all spotlight the evolving role of identity security in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world,” he said.
“Emerging technologies like zero trust architecture, decentralized identity, passwordless authentication, and AI-driven security are reshaping identity management. In particular, LLMs and AI-powered automation are transforming how organizations make access decisions – analyzing vast amounts of data in real time to detect anomalies, enforce least privilege, and streamline identity governance.”
How to Celebrate Identity Management in 2025
Take advantage of free resources, webinars, and partner events, including:
- Virtual conferences: Identity Defined Security Alliance held a comprehensive, 21-hour virtual event featuring sessions led by identity and security experts discussing the latest trends and strategies in identity management. While these sessions will be available as on-demand webinar replays, the IDSA also has many other webinars and events related to identity security.
- Educational materials: Security professionals can also access a wide variety of vendor-neutral resources, such as best practices, research papers, case studies, and reports. IDSA and other organizations offer these resources to improve the overall understanding and implementation of effective identity management.
- Partner events: IT and security team members can engage with events hosted by IDSA and their partners to gain even more insights related to identity security.
Turning Awareness into Action
As we mark Identity Management Day 2025, the message is clear: awareness is only the beginning. In a world where identity has become the new front line of defense, organizations must act decisively – embracing modern identity tools, rethinking outdated approaches, and committing to continuous improvement.
Whether through AI-powered access controls, real-time threat detection, or simply by fostering a culture of identity hygiene, every step counts. By working together and staying informed, we can better protect identities and reduce the risks that threaten today’s digital landscape.
