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Home » Identity and Access Management What Teams Often Get Wrong

Identity and Access Management What Teams Often Get Wrong

Rohit Dabra

February 20, 2026

Introduction

Many enterprise teams treat identity and access as if they are the same thing. They aren’t. Identity confirms who a user is. Access defines what that user is allowed to do. Assuming that an authenticated identity automatically deserves access is one of the most common—and costly organizational security mistakes.

Flexible work environments, remote access, and after-hours system use have made this problem worse. Even with identity and access management (IAM) programs in place, enterprises often grant too much access that later result into financial losses.

Gartner has repeatedly highlighted that breaches frequently occur not because identities are missing, but because access is poorly governed.

This blog discusses the major gaps in an organization’s IAM security and how correcting identity vs access management misunderstanding strengthens enterprise security.

Identity Management vs Access Management – The Core Difference

In most organizations, identity and access are often treated as the same thing, but they answer two very different questions. Teams often assume that once someone is verified, they can be trusted with everything related to their role. Which is not true.

Identity answers the question: Who is this user? It confirms a person’s credentials, role, and status within the organization.

Access answers the question: What is this person allowed to do? It defines which systems, files, and functions the person can use.

Identity management security focuses on making sure the right people are correctly identified. Access management ensures they only do what they need to do. Confusing these two leads to errors that are often invisible until something goes wrong.

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Six Major Blunders Enterprises Make with IAM Security

Even organizations with strong IAM programs often make simple mistakes. These mistakes are usually about processes, not technology.

Mistake 1: Giving Extra Access

To speed up onboarding or reduce internal requests, many teams grant broader access than necessary. The thinking is practical. It avoids delays and future approvals.

Over time, this practice creates users who can:

View systems they never use

Access data outside their responsibilities

Perform actions they were never meant to perform

IAM security suffers when access is given for convenience rather than actual need. What starts as a time-saving step becomes a long-term problem.

Mistake 2: Not Removing Access When Roles Change

Employees move between teams, get promoted, or take temporary assignments. Many enterprises add new access but forget to remove old permissions.

This leads to:

Users holding access to multiple departments

Old systems still available to employees who no longer need them

Higher risk if accounts are misused or accessed by attackers

Identity may remain correct, but access no longer reflects what the person should be able to do. This mismatch is one of the most persistent IAM mistakes enterprises make.

Mistake 3: Contractors Treated Like Employees

Temporary workers and contractors often receive the same access as permanent staff. When contracts end, accounts may remain active.

This allows:

Former contractors to continue accessing systems

Sensitive data to be exposed outside the organization

Compliance gaps that auditors notice

Treating temporary staff like permanent employees is one of the easiest ways IAM security fails.

Mistake 4: Trusting Roles Instead of Checking Access

Some teams assume that if a person has a senior position or long tenure, they can be trusted with broad access. This is common but risky.

The result is:

Users having permissions they do not need

Role changes not reflected in access

Accumulation of unnecessary permissions over time

Access should be based on actual responsibilities, not assumed from a job title.

Mistake 5: Access is Removed Late After Employee Exit

When employees leave, removing access is often delayed. Accounts may remain active for days or weeks because of slow processes.

This exposes the organization to:

Former employees accessing email or systems

Sensitive information being at risk

Audit and compliance issues

IAM compliance expects access to be removed immediately when someone leaves.

Mistake 6: IAM Seen as an IT-Only Responsibility

IAM is often owned only by IT. Business teams, HR, and security teams are frequently not involved.

This creates problems like:

Access decisions made without business context

Slow response to changes

Lack of accountability during audits

IAM works best when multiple teams share responsibility. Identity and access management is not only technical; it is operational.

How These Mistakes Affect Security and Compliance

When identity or access management are managed incorrectly, the consequences may not be immediately visible, but they build up over time.

Security Impact

Users retain permissions they don’t need, increasing internal risk

Old accounts remain active, giving attackers more targets

Breaches happen not because identities are missing, but because access is uncontrolled

Compliance Impact

Regulated industries require clear access control

Delays in revoking access or improper assignment trigger audit findings

Poor IAM security leads to remediation work, fines, or reputational risk

Treating identity and access as the same makes both security and compliance harder to manage.

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The Key to Effective IAM Security for Enterprise Teams

Effective IAM security comes from actively managing identity and access in a way that reflects actual work responsibilities. It is not about installing tools; it is about aligning access with real business needs.

1. Align Access with Real Responsibilities

Each user’s access should match their role. Employees should only have permissions for the systems and data they need. Granting extra access for convenience or future needs increases risk and creates hidden security problems. Access should change as responsibilities change, ensuring identity and access are always aligned.

2. Review Access Regularly

Access must be reviewed at regular intervals. These reviews ensure that permissions still match work responsibilities. Managers, system owners, and security teams should verify that access is appropriate and remove anything unnecessary. Regular reviews prevent access from accumulating over time, keeping IAM security effective.

3. Remove Access Immediately When Not Needed

When employees leave, change roles, or finish temporary assignments, access should be revoked right away. Delayed removal leaves systems exposed and increases the risk of unauthorized activity. Immediate removal simplifies compliance and keeps enterprise systems secure.

4. Handle Privileged Access Separately

High-level permissions require special attention. Administrative accounts should be granted only, when necessary, monitored regularly, and reviewed separately from standard accounts. Treating privileged access the same as regular access increases exposure and complicates audits.

5. Make IAM a Shared Responsibility

IAM security should involve IT, business leaders, HR, and security teams. Shared responsibility ensures that access decisions consider business context, role changes are captured correctly, and accountability is clear. Collaboration improves speed, accuracy, and compliance.

6. Support Zero Trust Practices

Zero trust assumes no one should have access by default. IAM security should check and approve access continuously, monitor changes, and prevent unnecessary permissions. Correctly managed IAM supports zero trust without slowing operations, giving organizations control over who can do what.

Conclusion

In regulated environments, simply knowing who someone is does not guarantee security. Identity management without proper access controls leaves organizations exposed to risks such as over-privileged accounts, insider threats, and compliance failures.

Teams must focus on both identity and access management, ensuring that users have the right permissions for their roles at all times.

When identity and access management is handled correctly, employees see only what they need, sensitive systems remain secure, and compliance requirements are consistently met. IAM security becomes a strength, not a risk, giving teams confidence that their organization is safe.