Zero Trust Identity: why identity governance is the core of modern security

80% of security breaches have one thing in common: someone accessed something they shouldn’t have. Not always because the system failed, but because no one was clear on who could access what—and when that access should be revoked.

That’s where Zero Trust stops being a concept and becomes an operational necessity. And where identity governance shifts from being a technical layer to becoming the true core of any modern cybersecurity strategy.

It is a comprehensive strategy whose basic principle is that “you should never trust, always verify” that access is legitimate—that is, to confirm that whoever wants to access a company’s specific digital resources is who they claim to be and is authorized to do so. Whoever they may be. And that involves determining who can access what.

The Zero Trust theory is relatively simple to understand. The challenge lies in implementing it in a real-world environment, with hundreds or thousands of active identities, legacy access points, staff turnover, and unexpected regulatory requirements. That’s where Soffid IGA comes in.

Zero Trust: Why You Can’t Trust Anyone

Today, the vast majority of cyberattacks stem from incidents involving unauthorized access: phishing, denial-of-service attacks, ransomware, and so on. At the same time, there is an increase in the variety and number of sources of these access attempts due to the widespread use of mobile and smart devices (IoT), remote work, and cloud applications.

And, as if that weren’t enough, we must also factor in the potential rise of non-human identities (NHIs), such as bots, automations, or service accounts, and the use of AI agents. It is estimated that, in many organizations, there are already dozens of NHIs for every employee; however, no adequate control or governance mechanisms are in place for access derived from these types of identities.

Managing these non-human identities with the same rigor as human ones is not optional: it is part of what distinguishes a true Zero Trust strategy from a mere statement of intent. Soffid IGA treats NHIs with the same policies of least privilege, continuous review, and controlled lifecycle as any other identity in the ecosystem.

It is no longer enough to put up a “barrier” and trust that the “bad guys” won’t get through; the current landscape is much more complex. We’re talking about the fact that such unauthorized access is becoming increasingly common because there are entities (human or otherwise) that impersonate others. 

Without Identity, There Is No Zero Trust

Without a Zero Trust policy—which verifies that every single access attempt, without exception, is legitimate and authorized (not only that the user is who they claim to be, but also that they have permission to access that specific resource)—multiple access points are left open; security gaps that can be exploited for illicit purposes and, furthermore, expose companies to penalties for failing to comply with legally mandated requirements.

Therefore, for an organization to implement Zero Trust policies to mitigate cybersecurity risks, it must begin by defining the digital identities associated with its resources (employees, customers, applications, etc.), establishing the permissions each one holds (authorize), implementing mechanisms to automatically verify those credentials, and using verification tools (authenticate). 

 

Only then can Zero Trust principles be incorporated into the cybersecurity strategy:

• Strong (MFA) and scalable (adaptable) authentication systems.
• Constant review of authorizations.
• Principle of least privilege: only the necessary permissions, when they are necessary.
• Continuous monitoring and risk assessment.
• Credential protection; special attention to privileged accounts.  

Total control with Soffid IGA: if you’re not invited, you’re out

Theory is one thing; practice is another. This statement, which seems so obvious, is often overlooked when implementing Zero Trust cybersecurity strategies. Naturally, this is not done on a whim, but rather because of the complexity of such a task.

To move from theory to practice, it is essential to implement Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) tools that allow for the effective incorporation of the Zero Trust philosophy into the day-to-day operations of the entire digital ecosystem, regardless of the origin or privilege level of the identities. Remember: trust no one.

Soffid IGA handles the most critical and least glamorous part: verifying, validating, updating, and revoking.

One of the major advantages of Soffid IGA is the automation of account creation, modification, and deletion processes, which provides total control over identity governance without causing operational friction and ensures regulatory compliance.

Another major advantage of Soffid IGA is that it integrates into a single IAM solution in combination with other tools to strengthen access control and identity management; they are pieces of the same puzzle that fit together to solve the same problem: how to protect companies’ digital assets.

Here is one of the key differences between Soffid and point solutions: IGA does not operate in isolation but is integrated into a converged IAM platform alongside AM, PAM, and IRC. This enables the application of unified policies, operation from a single control panel, and the elimination of friction between layers.

While other approaches require combining multiple tools and teams to cover these functions, at Soffid everything is part of a single architecture. It is the difference between managing independent components or working with an already integrated model, where visibility and control are exercised from a single point.

This puzzle is tailored to the specific needs of each organization, but its pieces are always held together by Zero Trust and least privilege policies. When IGA and Zero Trust are successfully integrated—what we might call “Zero Trust Identity”—we achieve:

• Access in minutes, not days. Automated provisioning eliminates operational bottlenecks from day one.
• Zero ghost permissions. Inactive accounts or those with accumulated privileges are detected and corrected without manual intervention.
• RBAC, Role-Based Access Control. More precise definition of privileges and assignment of credentials, based on role-based segregation.
• Audits without improvisation. Every access is logged, tracked, and ready for review at any time.
• Risks visible before they escalate. You don’t wait for something to go wrong to realize there was a problem.

At Soffid, we work to make the Zero Trust model truly applicable, without adding unnecessary complexity.

If you want to see how to make identity management a key element of your security strategy, tell us about your project and we’ll help you define the best approach for your organization.