Defining Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM)
Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM) is a strategic framework for helping organizations move from reactive identity governance to proactive risk posture management. At its core are eight pillars of ISPM, a practical, governance-led structure designed to continuously assess, manage, and optimize identity security across hybrid and multicloud environments. These pillars provide security leaders with the foundation to strengthen defenses, enforce least privilege at scale, and stay ahead of identity-driven threats.
ISPM isn’t a product—it’s a strategic framework designed to continuously assess and strengthen an organization’s identity risk posture. RSA has identified 8 critical pillars that every ISPM initiative must include to effectively minimize identity-driven threats and maintain compliance.
Today’s cyberattacks overwhelmingly target identity. From credential abuse and privilege escalation to misconfigurations and orphaned accounts, identity-driven threats have become the primary attack vector for breaches.
The challenge? Most organizations still rely on fragmented identity tools and manual processes that leave blind spots across their environments. Attackers are adept at exploiting these gaps—whether it’s through dormant accounts, excessive entitlements, or inconsistent access controls between on-premises and cloud applications.
This is why the eight pillars of ISPM are not optional—they’re foundational. The pillars provide a unified, governance-led approach to:
- Continuously monitor identity risk exposure.
- Automate identity lifecycle workflows.
- Enforce least privilege policies at scale.
- Eliminate hidden identity threats before they can be exploited.
In a landscape where identity is the new security perimeter, organizations must evolve from reactive identity governance to proactive posture management. The 8 Pillars of ISPM deliver the framework to do just that.
This in-depth report defines ISPM, outlines the risks that it accounts for, and offers a framework for security leaders to benchmark their readiness to adopt and implement ISPM. Along with a detailed breakdown of the 8 ISPM pillars, explaining how each pillar addresses specific identity risks and operational blind spots you will find:
- What ISPM means and how it supports a Zero Trust model
- The new cybersecurity risks that traditional identity capabilities fail to account for, and the challenges that ISPM solves
- The foundational cybersecurity capabilities organizations need to enable an ISPM practice
- How organizations can assess their readiness for adopting an ISPM strategy
- How ISPM principles can advance Zero Trust security posture
Download the report now to learn how to make ISPM part of your cybersecurity strategy.
Who should use this RSA ISPM report?
This report is designed for CISOs, identity architects, and IT leaders responsible for protecting access across hybrid, multicloud, and on-premises environments. It’s especially valuable for those looking to benchmark maturity and implement a measurable posture improvement strategy.
What will I learn from this report?
You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the ISPM framework, why it’s critical now, and how to operationalize it. The report outlines how to evaluate your current identity posture, prioritize areas of improvement, and align identity management with broader cyber risk and compliance goals.
How can I tell if my organization needs Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM)?
If your organization is struggling with fragmented identity tools, manual access reviews, or blind spots in user entitlements across cloud and on-prem environments, it’s likely you’re already facing identity risk exposure. Common indicators include:
- Difficulty maintaining least privilege access over time.
- Repeated audit findings related to identity governance.
- Gaps between authentication, access provisioning, and policy enforcement.
- Challenges aligning identity practices with Zero Trust initiatives.
The RSA ISPM report provides a framework to assess whether your current identity governance approach is sufficient, and offers practical guidance on how to build a proactive identity risk posture that scales with your hybrid and multicloud environment.
