Identity security maturity brings higher value & growth

SailPoint, an enterprise identity security company, has released new findings from its 2024-2025 research report titled 'The Horizons of Identity Security'.

The research highlights that organisations globally, with advanced identity security practices, are gaining greater value for their investments in this field. Specifically, these organisations are realising benefits such as reduced cyber risk, improved business value, and enhanced workforce productivity.

Only 5% of organisations in the Asia-Pacific region have reached advanced stages of identity security. Within this region, 45% are still at the inception of their identity security journey, indicating significant potential for growth.

Globally, the report notes that 83% of organisations experienced fewer identity-related security problems in 2023 due to their security investments. It was also found that organisations with mature identity security practices had about 1.7 times higher adoption of AI-powered solutions compared to less advanced organisations.

According to the research, machine identities are expected to rise by about 30% in the next three to five years, surpassing other identity types in growth. The importance of covering these identities is becoming pivotal for organisations at all levels.

Chern-Yue Boey, Senior Vice President, APJ at SailPoint, commented, "APJ organisations are concerned about changes in access models due to M&A and divestures and talent shortage around AI/ML especially as new AI regulations have been introduced in several markets. With strategic investment in identity security, APJ businesses can achieve enhanced capability coverage and data analytics, automation, lower cyber insurance premiums and improved compliance. With the right technology, strategy and expertise, organisations can attain identity security maturity and gain higher returns with increased maturity."

The report suggests that mature identity security programs offer stronger coverage of machine identities, estimated to constitute over 40% of total identities in organisations currently surveyed. In addition, mature programs provide up to 50% higher coverage of third-party identities, which are critical as businesses increasingly depend on external providers.

The use of identity data intelligence is twice as likely in mature organisations, enabling smarter access decisions through AI-powered tools and analytics. This advancement contributes to more effective security policies and access reviews.

Furthermore, organisations with mature identity security report a greater willingness to invest in Generative AI (GenAI), focusing on use cases such as workflow creation and natural language search.

The report also finds that 92% of organisations are evaluated on their cyber capabilities by insurers before premiums are set, with identity security considered one of the most significant factors.

The integration of identity programs across diverse technology environments, including AI-driven analytics for better access decisions, is outlined as a future direction for identity security. RWE, a SailPoint customer, showcased the impact by reaching maturity in identity security within six months, enhancing productivity and significantly reducing onboarding time.

Such insights underline the vital role of committed investments in identity security to secure assets and maintain competitiveness in the digital landscape.