What is IGA
Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) is defined as the branch of Identity and Access Management (IAM) that is responsible for aiding in auditing and meeting compliance standards.
It’s basically a system or framework that helps organizations manage who has access to what inside their company.
IGA enables your organization to effectively address the following critical questions related to access
Who has access to what resources?
What will the user do with that access?
Why do the users need that access?
So, IGA is about security + efficiency + Compliance
Key concept of IGA
User Lifecycle Management: The moment an employee joins, IGA creates their account, gives them access to tools they need, and removes it when they leave.
Access Requests: Employees can request access to apps, and IGA makes sure approvals follow company rules.
Compliance & Audits: Helps companies prove to regulators that sensitive data is protected and only authorized people can see it.
Risk Reduction: Prevents issues like “ghost accounts” (old accounts that still have access) or employees having more access than they should.
Why Do We Need IGA?
Security: Stops unauthorized access and insider threats so it's automatic enhanced the security level of a organization .
Compliance: Meets legal requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, SOX.
Efficiency: Saves IT time by automating account management and reduce man power also help to company cost cutting .
Transparency: Clear visibility of "who has access to what" so if any one try to stole data from organization its easy to identify the culprit
In Corporate IT
An employee in HR requests access to payroll data. IGA routes the request to the payroll manager for approval.
If approved, access is granted automatically and logged for compliance.
When the employee transfers to marketing, IGA removes payroll access and gives them marketing tools instead.
Why it matters: Prevents “excessive access” and keeps roles clean.
In Healthcare
A new doctor joins the hospital. IGA automatically gives them access to patient records, lab systems, and scheduling tools.
But they don’t get access to financial billing systems, because that’s not part of their role.
If the doctor moves to research, IGA adjusts their access to anonymized patient data instead of live records.
When they leave the hospital, IGA instantly removes all accounts to protect sensitive health data.
Why it matters: Prevents HIPAA violations and ensures patient privacy.
Some Example of IGA tools
Tool : SailPoint IdentityIQ / IdentityNow
Key Features: Strong lifecycle management, role-based access, compliance reporting
Best For: Large enterprises needing deep governance and audit capabilities
Tool: Okta Identity Governance
Key Features: Cloud-native, easy integration with apps, strong automation
Best For: Organizations moving to cloud and SaaS-heavy environments
Tool: Saviynt Identity Governance
Key Features: Cloud-first, fine-grained access controls, application governance
Best For : Businesses needing flexible cloud identity governance
Tool: Oracle Identity Governance
Key Features: Enterprise-grade provisioning, compliance, integration with Oracle apps
Best For: Large organizations already invested in Oracle ecosystem
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