Hey Jedi welcome to the 96th edition of the Identity Jedi Newsletter. Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! We are kicking off the year with some announcements! Just launched to Identity Jedi University is our FREE Identity Governance Fundamentals course. We’ll be dropping more free courses through out the year so stay tuned. Also BRAND NEW this year is a new newsletter and micropodcast. ( Yeah we were busy during the holiday break!). This one isn’t about identity though, but leadership. Drops every Friday at 3pm exclusively on LinkedIn and Spotify. You can check out the newsletter here and the micropodcast here.

Whew..ok. that’s it for announcements…for this edition. We’ve got SOOO much stuff planned for this year, it’s going to be AMAZING! But let’s get to the good stuff

2025 Predictions for Identity

Let’s be real – the world of Identity and Access Management (IAM) is moving faster than ever, and if you’re not keeping up, you’re already behind. As we roll into 2025, the identity game isn’t just about locking doors; it’s about opening the right ones, faster and smarter. Identity is becoming the heart of security and the engine of business growth.

Ok..here’s some bold predictions the new year

1. Say Goodbye to One-and-Done Authentication

Passwords? MFA? Yeah, that’s cute – but 2025 isn’t playing around. Continuous authentication is about to take over. Logging in once and cruising all day isn’t going to cut it anymore. Systems will constantly check if you’re still… well, you.

Why?

Attackers are slick. They wait until you’re in and then ride your session like a free Uber. Continuous authentication uses behavioral analytics and device signals to ask, “Is this still you?” throughout your session. If something feels off – boom – step-up authentication kicks in.

By 2025, if your IAM strategy doesn’t have this, you’re basically giving out VIP passes to intruders.

2. Decentralized Identity – It’s Finally Happening

Decentralized identity (DID) has been lurking in the background for years. 2025 is the year it takes center stage. Users are tired of handing over personal data, and regulators aren’t playing around with privacy anymore.

Here’s the kicker – DID lets people own their credentials, reducing the need for companies to hoard sensitive data. No more “we accidentally leaked your info” emails. This is going to hit hard in customer IAM (CIAM). Think smoother onboarding, instant age verification, and fewer data breaches.

DID isn’t just for the tech nerds anymore – it’s about to hit the mainstream.

3. Identity Orchestration is the New Black

Got a bunch of identity tools that don’t talk to each other? You’re not alone. In 2025, identity orchestration will be the glue that holds your IAM environment together.

Imagine having a conductor that tells all your identity tools – from legacy systems to shiny new SaaS apps – to play the same tune. That’s orchestration. It automates lifecycle management, enforces policies in real-time, and makes sure access happens just in time (no earlier, no later).

Orchestration is going to be as essential as SSO – trust me on this.

4. AI is Running the IAM Show

AI isn’t coming – it’s already here. In 2025 we’ll see vendors showcase tools whic handle over half of your identity decisions. From suggesting who gets access to spotting over-permissioned accounts, AI is about to become your IAM co-pilot.

Imagine this – AI notices Jane in marketing hasn’t used a tool in six months and automatically revokes her access. Or, better yet, it detects weird access patterns at 3 AM and flags it before an incident happens.

Plus, generative AI will power identity help desks. Need access? Just ask the bot. IAM admins, take a breath – AI’s got your back.

5. Identity – The Secret Weapon for Business Growth

By 2025, IAM won’t just be the team in the corner worrying about logins and permissions – it’ll be front and center driving business outcomes. Identity is set to become a core enabler of productivity, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth.

On the employee side, identity automation will ensure new hires have everything they need from day one. No more waiting weeks for access to critical tools – IAM will streamline the process, cutting downtime and boosting productivity.

For customers, seamless, personalized experiences powered by identity will be the differentiator. Fast, secure onboarding and frictionless access to services will drive loyalty and retention, while decentralized identity will reduce the risk (and headache) of storing sensitive data.

The companies that understand IAM’s power to unlock efficiency, innovation, and trust will be the ones leading their industries. In 2025, IAM isn’t just keeping the lights on – it’s lighting the way forward.

Pontification: Identity The Secret Weapon for Business Growth in 2025

In 2025, identity isn’t just about security – it’s about driving growth. For years, Identity and Access Management (IAM) has been treated as an operational necessity, tucked away in the IT and security corners. But that’s about to change. As organizations digitally transform, identity will shift from being a backend function to becoming one of the most powerful tools for enabling business success.

Here’s the kicker – this shift won’t happen by accident. Business leaders will need to rethink how they engage with IAM teams, empowering them to break out of the IT bubble and step into a more strategic role. When that happens, identity will not only protect the organization but actively fuel productivity, efficiency, and revenue growth.

Bringing Identity to the Front Office

Let’s face it – IAM has historically been viewed as a gatekeeper, focused on restricting access and reducing risk. But the truth is, IAM done right opens doors.

Imagine an environment where:

• New employees have the right tools and permissions on day one.

• Customers experience frictionless logins and self-service onboarding.

• Partners and contractors can securely collaborate without long approval cycles.

That’s the power of identity when it’s aligned with business goals. But to make this a reality, business units need to get involved. IAM leaders should no longer sit solely in security meetings – they need a seat at the table in conversations about customer experience, workforce productivity, and digital transformation.

Forward-thinking organizations will bring IAM teams closer to product development, HR, and customer success teams to ensure identity isn’t just enabling security but enabling business agility and growth.

The New IAM Metrics: Beyond Logins and Breaches

As IAM evolves, so do the KPIs that define success. For years, identity teams have reported on metrics like failed login attempts, account lockouts, and time to revoke access. While these are still important, the new era of IAM will demand more business-centric measurements.

Here’s what IAM leaders will track in 2025:

• Time to Productivity – How quickly can new hires access the tools they need?

• Frictionless Customer Access – How many customers successfully onboard without human intervention?

• Access Automation Rates – What percentage of access requests are fulfilled automatically through identity governance?

• Business Unit Enablement – How many initiatives across the company rely on identity-driven automation?

IAM’s value will be judged by how much it accelerates business processes, not just how well it prevents breaches. Identity leaders will be expected to show ROI in terms of efficiency, growth, and customer satisfaction – transforming the narrative from “necessary cost” to “strategic investment.”

Paving the Way for the CIDO

This shift isn’t just changing how IAM teams operate – it’s redefining leadership roles at the top. Enter the Chief Identity Officer (CIDO).

In the coming years, more organizations will recognize that identity isn’t just a subset of IT or security – it’s a discipline in its own right that requires dedicated leadership at the executive level. The CIDO will bridge the gap between business, security, and IT, ensuring that identity strategy aligns with broader corporate objectives.

The CIDO’s responsibilities will include:

• Driving identity-driven digital transformation initiatives.

• Overseeing workforce and customer identity strategies.

• Reporting directly to the CISO or CIO but increasingly engaging with the CEO and board.

This year we will see the seeds of the CIDO role will already be planted in many forward-thinking enterprises. Organizations that empower IAM leaders today are setting the stage for this executive identity revolution.

The future of IAM isn’t just about tighter security – it’s about driving business innovation, efficiency, and trust. Organizations that treat identity as a growth enabler will outpace competitors by delivering better customer experiences, empowering their workforce, and reducing operational friction.

But this can only happen if business leaders and IAM teams work together to reshape identity’s role in the enterprise. The future is clear – identity isn’t staying in the basement. It’s moving to the boardroom.

The Last Word

Phrase of the day: Identity Security Posture Management.

Yeah trying say that three times fast. I think you’ll hear this word a lot this year. It will get combined with identity orchestration, and vendors will talk about both but here’s what you need to know about this. It takes multiple systems to deliver the functionality we want ( for now, as vendors still work on consolidating) and we need to understand what we are securing and how. The budding ISPM market ( if we can even call it that yet) will be instrumental in helping us figure out exactly how we represent identity security to the business.

Gonna be fun 2025

Be Good to each other, Be Kind to each other, Love each other

-Identity Jedi