The Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA), a nonprofit that provides free vendor-neutral education and resources to help organizations reduce the risk of a breach by combining identity and security strategies, announced the second annual ‘Identity Management Day.' The awareness event takes place on the second Tuesday in April each year; this year Identity Management Day 2022 will be held on April 12.
What is Identity Management Day?
According to the "2021 Trends in Securing Digital Identities" report from the IDSA, 79% of organizations have experienced an identity-related security breach. The mission of Identity Management Day is to educate business leaders, IT decision makers, and the public on the importance of identity management and key components including governance, identity-centric security best practices, processes, and technology, with a special focus on the dangers of not properly securing identities and related access credentials. In addition, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) will provide guidance for consumers, to ensure that their online identities are protected through security awareness and best practices.
"Attacks over the past year on SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline had massive repercussions, and yet neither was carried out via new techniques. Both were the result of inadequate identity management practices. The SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline breaches should be a rally cry for implementing basic identity management principles and evidence that an identity-related breach can happen to an organization of any size and have significant repercussions to critical infrastructure and supply chains," said Julie Smith, executive director of the IDSA. "The goal of Identity Management Day is to raise awareness, share best practices, and inspire individuals and organizations of all sizes to act, so that failure to implement basic identity management best practices doesn't result in the next headline breach."
How to Get Involved
- Share Best Practices: Contribute blog content on identity management and security. Send links to idmgmtday@idsalliance.org for amplification on social media and potential inclusion on the Identity Management Day website.
- Join the Identity Management Day Conversation on Social Media: Spread the word on social media using #IDMgmtDay2022 and #BeIdentitySmart and the social cards provided.
- Explore Resources: Discover best practices for enterprises, SMBs, and consumers from across the industry on the Identity Management Day news and resources page.
- Support the Next Generation of Identity Management Leaders: Donate to the "Identity Management Day Scholarship Program," a scholarship fund to help provide financial support to high school students and career transitioners on their path to an identity smart cybersecurity career.
- Join Us on Identity Management Day: Hear from identity and security practitioners, industry experts and network with peers on best practices for addressing today's challenges and the future of identity security. Register for updates on events happening on April 12.
"Work from home and ‘bring your own device' policies have blurred the lines between our personal and professional lives. Poor cyber hygiene on a professional or personal account or device can leave your entire digital identity vulnerable. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps everyone can take to vastly improve the security of their online identities. These include enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible, using a password manager, and performing software updates. Taking even just one of these steps can help protect both your organization and family from cyberattacks." - Lisa Plaggemier, Interim Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance
"Two years into pandemic-induced remote work, changing market dynamics, evolving customer needs, and modified operating models, digital transformation and cybersecurity have never been more paramount. As business transformation continues to accelerate, managing risk and security in a work-from-anywhere world remains challenging for enterprises and SMBs alike. Today, identity has become the first line of defense - and the first step - to protecting organizations and adopting a modern Zero Trust security model." - Ravi Erukulla, VP, Analyst Relations and Customer Advocacy at Saviynt and Chairman of Identity Management Day
To learn more about Identity Management Day 2022, please visit www.identitymanagementday.org.