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Created by Claudiu Tabac - © 2026
This material is open for educational and research use. Commercial use without explicit permission from the author is not allowed.
SCC-02 Identity & Access Management
A governance framework for controlling who has access to what, when, and why across your enterprise
The Foundation of Enterprise Security Governance
SCC-02 defines how identities and access rights are governed, controlled, and monitored across the enterprise. This cluster determines whether access to systems, data, and services is granted intentionally, proportionally, and reversibly, based on identity, role, and risk context.
In the ECIL framework, Identity & Access Management transcends its traditional technical boundaries. It represents a comprehensive governance capability that connects people, systems, and privileges to accountability structures and risk-informed decisions.
Without robust IAM governance, even the most sophisticated security controls become ineffective. SCC-02 ensures that every access decision reflects documented intent, approved authority, and continuous oversight.
Core Governance Principles
  • Every access tied to clear identity context
  • Rights justified, approved, and reviewed
  • Privileged access controlled and traceable
  • Identity risk continuously governed
  • Access aligned with business roles

IAM governance failures are consistently among the top root causes in security incidents and regulatory findings.
Identity Lifecycle Governance
Managing the complete journey of identities from creation through modification to eventual removal
Onboarding
Identity creation with role assignment based on business function and least privilege principles
Modification
Joiner, mover, leaver (JML) processes that adapt access as roles evolve throughout employment
Governance
Continuous oversight ensuring accountability for lifecycle decisions across all identity types
Offboarding
Timely removal preventing orphaned accounts and accumulated access rights from becoming security risks
This capability area examines how identities are created, modified, and removed throughout their organizational lifecycle. Effective governance extends beyond human employees to encompass contractors, partners, service accounts, and non-human identities such as applications and automated processes.
Key governance aspects include clear ownership structures, documented approval workflows, and systematic handling of role changes. Identity lifecycle failures frequently result in orphaned accounts, excessive permissions, and access that persists long after business justification has expired.
Critical Success Factors
  1. Automated JML workflow integration
  1. Clear identity ownership assignments
  1. Regular reconciliation with HR systems
  1. Defined processes for all identity types
  1. Timely offboarding enforcement
Access Provisioning & Authorization
1
Access Model Design
Implementation of role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) frameworks that reflect organizational structure and business logic
2
Approval Mechanisms
Documented justification and multi-level approval processes ensuring access requests align with business need and risk tolerance
3
Least Privilege Enforcement
Systematic application of minimum necessary access principles combined with need-to-know restrictions across all resource types
4
Conflict Management
Separation of duties controls and automated detection of access combinations that create unacceptable risk or regulatory violations
Governance Principle: Access provisioning must reflect documented governance intent and risk-based decisions, not operational convenience or historical precedent.
This capability area focuses on how access rights are granted and constrained throughout the enterprise. Organizations must balance operational efficiency with security rigor, ensuring that provisioning processes scale while maintaining appropriate controls. Modern access models increasingly incorporate contextual attributes such as location, device posture, and behavioral patterns to make dynamic authorization decisions.
Effective provisioning governance requires clear role definitions, documented access standards, and systematic enforcement of organizational policies. The goal is ensuring that every granted permission has traceable justification and aligns with both business requirements and risk management objectives.
Privileged Access Governance
Why Privileged Access Matters
Privileged access represents concentrated risk within enterprise environments. Users with elevated permissions can bypass controls, modify audit logs, access sensitive data, and fundamentally alter system configurations.
This capability area evaluates how elevated privileges are restricted, monitored, and continuously reviewed to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.
Privileged Role Identification
Systematic discovery and classification of privileged accounts, roles, and access paths across infrastructure and applications
Controlled Elevation
Just-in-time access provisioning with time-bound sessions, requiring explicit justification and approval for privilege escalation
Activity Monitoring
Comprehensive logging and behavioral analysis of privileged sessions with alerting on anomalous or high-risk actions
1
Request
Privileged access requested with business justification
2
Approve
Multi-level approval based on risk and sensitivity
3
Grant
Time-limited access provisioned with session monitoring
4
Review
Post-access review of activities and automatic revocation
Emergency and break-glass access scenarios require particular attention. These represent necessary exceptions to standard governance but must be tightly controlled, immediately logged, and subject to rapid post-incident review. Organizations must balance operational resilience with security oversight.
Authentication & Trust Enforcement
Verifying identity claims and establishing appropriate trust levels for access decisions
01
Authentication Strength
Selection of authentication mechanisms based on assurance level requirements, risk context, and resource sensitivity
02
Multi-Factor Authentication
Implementation of MFA across critical systems with phishing-resistant authenticators for high-risk scenarios
03
Conditional Access
Dynamic trust evaluation incorporating device health, location, behavioral analytics, and real-time risk signals
04
Federation & Trust
Governance of external identity providers, trust relationships, and delegation models for partner ecosystems
Authentication represents a fundamental trust decision that must align with organizational risk appetite and regulatory requirements. This capability area examines how identities are verified before granting access, ensuring that authentication strength matches the sensitivity of protected resources.
Modern authentication frameworks move beyond simple password verification to incorporate multiple factors, contextual signals, and continuous authentication throughout sessions. Organizations must consider the full spectrum of authentication methods, from biometrics and hardware tokens to behavioral analysis and risk-based adaptive controls.
Federation extends the authentication challenge to trusted external parties. Establishing appropriate trust boundaries, managing identity provider relationships, and ensuring consistent authentication standards across federated environments require explicit governance frameworks and technical controls.

Risk-Based Authentication evaluates multiple signals including device posture, location anomalies, and user behavior patterns to dynamically adjust authentication requirements.
Access Review & Continuous Governance
Periodic Reviews
Scheduled access certification campaigns with owner attestation
Anomaly Detection
Automated identification of excessive or unusual access patterns
Revocation
Prompt removal of unnecessary or inappropriate access rights
Reporting
Executive visibility into access risk metrics and governance health
Remediation
Structured processes for addressing identified access governance gaps
Access governance is continuous, not event-driven. Rights that were appropriate at provisioning may become excessive as roles evolve, projects conclude, or business contexts change.
This capability area focuses on ensuring access remains appropriate throughout its lifecycle. Static access rights inevitably drift from business need as organizational structures evolve, employees change roles, and systems accumulate permissions over time. Effective governance requires systematic review cycles, automated detection of anomalies, and rapid remediation processes.
Organizations must establish clear accountability for access reviews, typically assigning responsibility to resource owners or business unit managers. Review processes should be risk-based, focusing attention on privileged access, sensitive data, and high-risk systems while employing automated tools to identify obvious anomalies and streamline certification workflows.
Regulatory & Assurance Framework Alignment
SCC-02 provides consistent evaluation across diverse regulatory requirements, even when terminology and emphasis differ
ISO/IEC 27001
Access Control (A.9) requirements covering user access management, user responsibilities, and system access control
Identity Management (A.9.2) focusing on user registration, privilege management, and access credential lifecycle
NIS2 Directive
Technical Measures including access control policies, authentication mechanisms, and privileged access management
Organizational Measures addressing identity lifecycle, access review processes, and governance oversight
SOC 2 Type II
Logical Access (CC6) criteria evaluating user identification, authentication, authorization, and access removal
System Operations (CC7) examining privileged access controls and monitoring of administrative activities
DORA Regulation
ICT Risk Management (Article 9) requiring strong authentication, access segregation, and privilege governance
Digital Operational Resilience (Article 6) focusing on access controls that support business continuity objectives
Each regulatory lens evaluates whether identity risk is adequately controlled, monitored, and governed within enterprise environments. While frameworks use different terminology and organizational structures, they share common concerns: ensuring access decisions are justified, documented, and continuously reviewed; preventing unauthorized privilege escalation; and maintaining accountability for identity-related security events.
SCC-02 enables organizations to map these diverse requirements to a unified capability model, demonstrating compliance across multiple frameworks through consistent governance practices and evidence artifacts.
Evidence & Failure Mode Perspectives
Evidence Perspective
Demonstrating governed identity and access decisions through comprehensive documentation
Identity Lifecycle Artifacts
Documented procedures, JML workflows, role assignment matrices, and identity ownership records
Access Decision Records
Approval chains, justification documentation, access request tickets, and exception approvals
Review Evidence
Certification campaign results, attestation records, remediation tracking, and periodic review schedules
Privileged Access Controls
Session logs, elevation requests, break-glass usage reports, and privileged account inventories
Authentication Policies
MFA implementation records, conditional access rules, federation agreements, and authentication strength standards
Failure Mode Perspective
Common weaknesses that lead to incidents and regulatory findings
Orphaned Identities
Accounts persisting after employment termination, creating unmonitored access paths and compliance violations
Access Accumulation
Rights growing over time without removal, resulting in excessive privileges beyond role requirements
Uncontrolled Privilege
Administrative access without approval, monitoring, or time constraints enabling insider threats
Weak Authentication
Inadequate verification mechanisms allowing unauthorized access through compromised credentials

These failure modes consistently appear as root causes in security incidents and represent primary focus areas during regulatory audits.
Applying SCC-02 in Your Organization
Practical guidance for implementing identity and access governance across enterprise environments
Assess Current State
Evaluate whether access is actively governed through documented processes, not merely implemented through technical controls without oversight
Interpret Requirements
Map identity and access requirements across multiple regulatory frameworks to identify common governance objectives and evidence needs
Structure Discussions
Use SCC-02 capability areas to organize IAM architecture decisions, governance frameworks, and stakeholder communications
Analyze Incidents
Identify root causes behind access-related security events by examining failures across lifecycle, provisioning, privilege, and review capabilities
SCC-02 provides a comprehensive lens for connecting identity and access decisions to enterprise risk management and organizational accountability structures. By framing IAM as a governance capability rather than purely a technical domain, organizations can better align security investments with business objectives and regulatory obligations.
Use this framework to drive conversations with leadership about identity risk, justify governance program investments, and demonstrate regulatory compliance through unified capability assessments. SCC-02 enables consistent evaluation across diverse regulatory requirements while maintaining focus on fundamental governance principles.
Key Takeaways
  • IAM is governance, not just technology
  • Access decisions require justification
  • Privilege demands explicit control
  • Reviews must be continuous
  • Evidence demonstrates intent
Created by Claudiu Tabac — © 2026
This material is open for educational and research use. Commercial use without explicit permission from the author is not allowed.