Top IGA Trends That CIOs Cannot Overlook in 2025

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Demand for effective identity governance and administration (IGA) is growing fast, driven by the need to protect sensitive data, meet regulations, and manage user access. This demand is only going to rise and is expected to reach $23.4 billion by 2032.

According to reports, identity and access management (IAM) is most frequently cited as a required control to qualify for cyber insurance policies. As a result, CIOs are integrating IGA solutions with Zero Trust principles to authenticate users and devices across platforms.

For instance, CIOs must opt for tools like CloudEagle.ai that help organizations implement role-based access control, the principle of least privilege, time-based access, and other zero-trust practices to reduce risks across SaaS tools.

Let’s explore how CloudEagle.ai supports CIOs in securing their organizations.

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TL;DR

• With stricter data regulations, CloudEagle.ai helps enforce privacy controls and ensure compliance with automated access reviews.
• CloudEagle.ai monitors user behavior and detects security risks in real time, strengthening cloud security.
• It implements role-based access control and the principle of least privilege to enforce continuous identity verification.
• CloudEagle.ai streamlines user provisioning and deprovisioning to reduce security risks and save time.
• The tool automates onboarding and offboarding, making the process faster, reducing manual work, and stopping former employees from keeping access.

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1. Top IGA Trends to Watch in 2025

In 2025, trends like AI in identity management, Zero Trust security, and privacy-first approaches will shape the future. 

A.  Increased Focus On Privacy-First IGA

As data privacy laws like ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA become stricter, companies are prioritizing privacy-first identity governance. This ensures that user data is only accessed when needed and is managed securely. By following privacy standards, companies protect both personal data and their customers’ trust.

B. AI in Identity Governance

AI is changing the way organizations handle identity management. It can quickly analyze lots of identity data to spot unusual activity and predict security risks. AI also automates routine tasks, which helps companies manage identities more efficiently. By using AI, businesses can spot problems before they get worse and reduce human errors, making security stronger overall.

C. Zero Trust Identity Model

With the increase in remote work and SaaS usage, the need for a Zero Trust model is evident. It continuously verifies employees, ensuring secure access and safer company data. The model trusts nothing by default, requiring every user and device to verify their identity each time they request access.

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D. Automated User Provisioning And Deprovisioning

Automating user provisioning and deprovisioning boosts security. It quickly grants the right access and instantly revokes it when employees leave, preventing former employees from accessing sensitive data. This process saves up to 500 work hours annually, improves efficiency, reduces manual tasks, and lets employees focus on more strategic work.

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Learn how CloudEagle.ai helped Bloom & Wild streamline their employee onboarding and offboarding processes.

E. Self-Service Catalog For Users

With a self-service app catalog, employees can quickly request for app access they need through the platform or using Slack, reducing the number of requests IT teams have to handle. The self-service app catalog lets employees manage their identity and access, reset passwords, request tools, or update info without waiting for IT support, making everything faster and easier.

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F. Governance-as-a-Service (GaaS)

GaaS is a growing trend where companies let cloud providers manage identity and access governance. This reduces pressure on internal teams and offers a more flexible, cost-effective way to manage identity. With GaaS, organizations can easily handle compliance, audit trails, and access reviews, ensuring security and governance are maintained.

G. Automated Compliance Reporting

With increasing regulations like SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR, companies need to stay compliant. Automated compliance reporting makes this easier by continuously monitoring access and generating reports on who has access to what. These reports make it easy to stay prepared for audits without hassle.

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By automating this process, companies can quickly identify and fix any issues with access controls. It helps ensure that the company stays compliant and ready for any audits without needing constant manual work.

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2. The Growing Need for Identity Security in 2025

Here are the reasons why organizations are focusing on securing identities across systems:

A. Real-time Monitoring Needs

Real-time monitoring is crucial for spotting suspicious activity that could signal a security threat. For example, if someone accesses sensitive data at unusual times or from unfamiliar locations, it could indicate a potential breach.

By keeping an eye on user activity around the clock, security teams can quickly identify and respond to threats before they become bigger problems.

B. Complex Access Management

As organizations grow, managing who has access to what becomes more complex. Employees in different roles need different levels of access to data and systems.

Automated identity management systems make this process much easier. These tools ensure everyone gets the right access based on their role, minimizing mistakes and improving security across the organization.

C. Rising Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks are becoming more common and harder to detect. Hackers use advanced techniques, including phishing methods like Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, to break into systems.

In a MitM attack, hackers intercept and sometimes change communications between users and legitimate services to steal sensitive information. To protect against these threats, organizations are adopting identity governance solutions for added security.

Thinking of cybersecurity solely as an IT issue is like believing that a company’s entire workforce, from the CEO down, is just one big HR issue.” - Steven Chabinsky, Global Chair of Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity at White & Case LLP

D. Insider Threats

Not all security risks come from outside the company. Sometimes, the biggest threats come from inside, such as employees or contractors misusing their access to steal or misuse data. 

For instance, a major risk is when users with privileged access leave, but their accounts aren’t deactivated. If former employee’s account with privileged access isn’t deactivated, a insider employee could use it to steal sensitive data. That's why it's important to deactivate privileged accounts when employees or contractors leave.

Strong identity and access management (IAM) systems help prevent this by making sure only the right people can access sensitive information.

E. Increased Remote Work

With more employees working remotely, securing company data is becoming more difficult. Employees often use personal devices or access company systems from various locations, which increases the risk of unauthorized access. To protect sensitive data, organizations need clear access management rules. 

Discover the inspiring success story of how Rec Room gained full visibility into the free apps used by its teams.

F. Stricter Industry Regulations

Data security regulations are getting stricter, and organizations must stay on top of these changes. Laws like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA require companies to keep personal data safe and carefully manage who can access it.

Not following these regulations can lead to expensive fines and harm the organization's reputation. For example, not complying with GDPR can result in a fine of up to 20 million euros or 4% of a company’s global turnover from the previous fiscal year, whichever is higher.

G. Data Privacy Focus

Data breaches are a serious threat, making it vital to protect sensitive information. Organizations handling personal data must ensure only authorized people can access it. Strong security measures, like the principle of least privilege and role-based access, help prevent breaches and ensure privacy law compliance.

“A breach alone is not a disaster, but mishandling it is,” Serene Davis, Cybersecurity Expert.

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3. How Can CIOs Leverage These Trends for Success?

CIOs can use these trends to improve security, streamline processes, and ensure compliance. Automation and AI can help reduce risks and make identity management more efficient.

A. Prioritize Automation

CIOs can make identity management easier by automating tasks like user access and compliance checks with tools like CloudEagle.ai. Automation cuts down on errors and saves time. For example, it instantly gives new employees access to necessary tools and removes access when they leave, reducing security risks.

B. Ensure Compliance

With laws like GDPR and SOC 2, staying compliant is a must. SaaS management and governance platforms like CloudEagle.ai help CIOs track access and generate reports, making it easy to stay on top of regulations. These tools also help avoid fines by keeping all activities aligned with privacy laws.

C. Streamline Hybrid Access

Managing access across both on-site and cloud systems can be tricky. Identity tools help CIOs make sure employees can securely access what they need, no matter where they work. This keeps security strong across all platforms, whether in the office or remote.

D. Control Third-Party Access

Third-party vendors need access to certain systems, but that access should be controlled. Identity governance tools let CIOs set clear permissions so that vendors can only access what’s necessary, helping to avoid data breaches.

E. Update Access Policies

CIOs should regularly review and update access policies to keep up with new security needs. This ensures the right people have the right access, using models like Zero Trust to continuously verify users and improve security. For this, they need ClousEagle.ai, which simplifies and automates the access review process.

F. Monitor in Real-Time

Real-time monitoring helps spot unusual activity immediately. When CISOs use CloudEagle.ai, they get real-time data on SaaS usage, and automated systems alert CIOs to potential security issues, allowing them to respond quickly and prevent unauthorized access.

G. Align With Business Goals

CIOs should make sure identity management supports the company’s overall goals. As businesses grow and change, identity strategies must evolve to keep security in line with the company’s digital transformation.

Check out this testimonial from Alice Park at Remediant, where she explains how she streamlined employee onboarding and offboarding using CloudEagle.ai.

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4. Conclusion

Preventing former employees from accessing company data requires more than account deactivation. A multi-step strategy and automation ensure fast, error-free revocation of access across all systems and applications.

CloudEagle.ai simplifies offboarding by enforcing least-privilege access controls and providing continuous monitoring to protect against security risks from former employees. Its automation features significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.

Ready to secure your data? Schedule a demo with CloudEagle.ai today!

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