Policy Modeling Milestone

Policy Modeling is a crucial milestone in ensuring robust identity governance and risk management. This process involves defining, configuring, and enforcing access policies to mitigate security risks and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Effective policy modeling aligns business objectives with security protocols, providing a framework for identifying, managing, and monitoring access conditions. This guide outlines the key steps and potential pitfalls in policy modeling, from determining unwanted access conditions to deploying and monitoring the solution, to help organizations achieve a secure and compliant identity management system.

1

Determine unwanted access conditions

Resources:

Identity Security Cloud

• Policies Overview

IdentityIQ

• Policies Overview
• Policies in IdentityIQ

Advice:

Collaborate with business stakeholders to identify and scope unwanted access conditions to be governed by policy. This ensures that policies are aligned with business needs and risk priorities.

Pitfalls:

• Lack of stakeholder involvement can result in irrelevant or overly broad policies.
• Failing to accurately scope conditions may lead to gaps in governance or excessive restrictions.

2

Configure policies

Resources:

Identity Security Cloud

• Create a General Policy
• Create a SoD Policy

IdentityIQ

• Best Practices for Policies
• Types of Policy
• Implementing Advanced Policy using Filters/Rules
• IdentityIQ SOD Policy Violation Formatting Rule

Advice:

Convert identified unwanted access conditions into policies, prioritizing high-risk conditions such as separation of duties. This step ensures that the most critical risks are addressed first.

Pitfalls:

• Misinterpreting business requirements can lead to ineffective policies.
• Overlooking high-risk conditions can expose the organization to significant security risks.

3

Confirm policy details

Resources:

Identity Security Cloud

• Managing Policies

IdentityIQ

• Best Practices for Policies
• Types of Policy
• Implementing Advanced Policy using Filters/Rules
• IdentityIQ SOD Policy Violation Formatting Rule

Advice:

Verify that policies have business-friendly names, clear descriptions, mitigating controls, and corrective actions. Clear communication and understanding are crucial for effective policy enforcement.

Pitfalls:

• Vague or technical language can cause confusion and hinder compliance.
• Missing or unclear mitigating controls and corrective actions can lead to improper handling of violations.

4

Analyze impact

Resources:

Identity Security Cloud

• Handling Policies Violations

IdentityIQ

• Working with Policy Violations
• Policy Violations in Certification
• Policy Violations WorkItems
• Testing Policies

Advice:

Evaluate the potential impact of policies before activating them. Understanding the implications helps prevent disruptions and ensures that policies support business objectives.

Pitfalls:

• Neglecting impact analysis can result in unforeseen negative consequences, such as operational bottlenecks.
• Underestimating the impact may lead to resistance from business units or failure to comply.

5

Deploy and monitor solution

Resources:

Identity Security Cloud

• Violation Reports

IdentityIQ

• Policy Violation Report

Advice:

Implement the policies and monitor for any violations, ensuring that corrective actions are taken. Continuous monitoring helps maintain compliance and address issues promptly.

Pitfalls:

• Insufficient monitoring can allow violations to go unnoticed.
• Delayed or ineffective response to violations can undermine the policy’s effectiveness and credibility.