June 26, 2023 The Hidden Value of Identity Data

Utilizing identity data to scale growth.

By Wade Ellery, Field Chief Technology Officer, Radiant Logic

Identity is woven through our lives and systems like a threaded needle, especially in cybersecurity. Most cyber attacks, for example, involve identity data on some level, with a focus on accessing and exploiting user identities through techniques like phishing or bruteforcing. A compromised account enables cybercriminals to enter the corporate network and exfiltrate critical data, deploy malware or impersonate the user to launch further attacks.

Identity security is becoming a major consideration for implementing cyber strategies, as most enterprises are now aware of the repercussions of an identity-based attack. One of the top priorities for securing the environment is understanding the current user base and being able to monitor for signs of compromise and malicious behavior.

However, many businesses still can’t access the full benefits of an organized and controlled identity data stream. Aside from enhanced security, comprehensive management of identity data can enable more informed decisions when organizations are looking to scale growth, evaluate spending and consider hiring needs.  

Tracking company growth and trajectory

When an organization can effectively monitor all existing identities, their attributes and track changes, it can gain valuable insights into the growth and development of the business. Even on a macro level, intriguing trends often emerge. Having a reliable repository of identity data allows for deeper analysis, and the information can be further mined for additional insights.

For example, let’s say a company has invested heavily in new hires and has doubled its headcount over a two-year period. When we look at that data, most of those hires fall under R&D. Meanwhile, the headcount for the sales department shrank over this period.

This means our theoretical company has undergone a significant shift in its basic nature, potentially placing a greater emphasis on innovation.

The identity data can then be coupled with other data flows from throughout the organization. How does Salesforce data match up to the reduced sales headcount, for example? Do sales trends indicate the department is doing more work with fewer resources, and the smaller team was a case of strategic employee placement?  Are the innovations coming from the increased R&D contributing to greater sales? Or has the sales pipeline shrunk too far, and the team needs to expand again?

Likewise, how does the product side of things marry up with the increased R&D investment? Is there a new initiative consuming a tremendous number of resources, or have development cycles shortened thanks to the extra hands? Was the R&D boost a bust, or is it paying off?

Businesses naturally monitor for effects all the time, but the cause is usually harder to ascertain. Connecting identity data to activity and output can provide a valuable puzzle piece to understanding the bigger picture.

From there, decision-makers can be more informed about the next steps, enabling them to focus on what’s working and attempt to correct things that aren’t.

Identity data is an intangible but valuable asset

Alongside assisting with strategic decisions, identity data can also help to increase an organization’s value.

While much of a company’s value will be determined by its physical assets and output, there are also many intangible elements. Coca-Cola, for example, can likely add an extra billion dollars to its balance sheet by being one of the most recognized brands on the planet.

Identity data has the potential to be another of these intangible but highly valuable assets. Companies that manage their information effectively and with forethought will be able to add it to their balance sheet alongside their other assets.

Being able to confidently say that you have a mature identity infrastructure is a highly advantageous property, particularly when it comes to investment and M&A, due to the time and resources saved by having this resource under control. If potential partners are evaluating two similar companies, the one with its identity data under wraps will come out ahead.  A company with a strong identity infrastructure can implement change faster, prototype programs with less overhead, and identify risks and benefits–all using the analysis of identity data.

Establishing an Identity Data Fabric

Unlocking these benefits becomes possible when all identity data across the organization is reliably captured and managed from a single point of control. This is not easy, as both human and machine identities exist across different devices and applications.

Multiply this by a headcount of thousands or tens of thousands, spread across the world, and attempting to achieve this manually would take multiple years and an unfeasible amount of manpower. Instead, a highly automated approach is essential for locating and classifying all the disparate data fragments and combining them into a single profile for each user.

The resulting system is known as Identity Data Fabric and enables decision-makers to immediately gain an accurate view of the entire workforce.  An identity is any object; human, machine, application, bot, etc. that has associated attributes that describe it, and is associated with other objects and resources.  Correlating all the sources of truth in which information about the identity exists and creating the context of its relationship to other identities exponentially increases the sum of the parts.

By fully understanding the organization’s identity data, businesses can not only make better security decisions, but unlock additional value in innovation, time-to-value and business insights.

About the Author:
Wade Ellery is Field Chief Technology Officer with Radiant Logic. Wade has over 20 years of increasing responsibility and experience in Enterprise IT direct and channel software and services sales and management. He holds in-depth knowledge and experience in enterprise IAM, IAG, Risk and Compliance, and IT Security products.

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