What is Reconciliation?

Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems have become integral in today's digital organizations. However, with the diverse applications, platforms, and systems in play, managing identities consistently can be a challenge. This is where the concept of "identity reconciliation" comes into the picture.

Identity reconciliation refers to the process of ensuring that identity data across multiple systems is consistent, accurate, and up to date. It's about comparing different sources of identity data, identifying discrepancies, and then resolving any inconsistencies. This process is essential for organizations that use multiple systems, each holding potentially different data about the same user.

Why is identity reconciliation important?

• Data integrity: With users often registered on multiple systems - from HR databases to email platforms - it's easy for inconsistencies to arise. Over time, as employees change roles, leave, or new software is introduced, the risk of data discrepancies grows. Identity reconciliation helps maintain the accuracy and integrity of user data across platforms.
• Security: Inaccurate identity data can lead to security vulnerabilities.  If an employee switches to a new job in the company, they might still be able to access an account in a target system meant for their previous role, which they should no longer have access to. By reconciling identities, such risks are minimized.
• Efficiency: Manually sifting through user data across multiple systems is tedious and error-prone. Automated identity reconciliation can streamline this process, saving time and reducing errors.

Types of reconciliation

OpenIAM is an Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution that addresses the challenges of identity reconciliation. In the context of IAM, reconciliation typically refers to the process of ensuring data consistency between a source (like an HR system) and target systems (like email, CRM, etc.). The types of reconciliation processes in OpenIAM platforms usually revolve around the following: 

• Full reconciliation: This involves comparing all the identity records from the source system with those in the target systems to identify any differences. It's a comprehensive process that ensures that all records, regardless of when they were last updated, are consistent across systems. 
• Incremental reconciliation: Instead of comparing all records, incremental reconciliation focuses only on the records that have changed since the last reconciliation. This is more efficient than full reconciliation, especially in large organizations where the volume of identity data is huge, but it assumes that no discrepancies have arisen outside of the known changes. 
• Event-driven reconciliation: This type of reconciliation is initiated based on specific events or triggers. For instance, when an employee changes departments, it might trigger a reconciliation process to ensure that their access permissions are updated accordingly across all systems. 
• Scheduled reconciliation: Many organizations schedule regular, full or incremental reconciliation processes to run at specific times. This could be, for example, at the end of each day, week, or month. 
• Real-time reconciliation: As the name suggests, real-time reconciliation processes are initiated immediately upon detecting a change. They ensure that any updates to identity data are immediately reflected across all connected systems.
• Manual reconciliation: Sometimes, automated reconciliation processes might not address all discrepancies, especially if they're complex or involve systems that aren't fully integrated with the IAM platform. In such cases, manual reconciliation, where administrators manually compare and update records, might be necessary.

Reconciliation data flow

Reconciliation in the context of Identity and Access Management (IAM) is about ensuring that identity data is consistent across various systems. The data flow for reconciliation typically involves multiple steps and interactions between source and target systems. Here's a general overview of how reconciliation data flow might work:

1. Source data retrieval:
   • The process starts by accessing the source system (e.g., an HR system) to retrieve the most recent identity data. This data might include user details, roles, and associated privileges.
2. Target data retrieval:
   • The IAM system then connects to each target system (e.g., email, CRM, cloud applications) to retrieve the current identity data stored there.
     
3. Comparison:
   • The IAM system compares the identity data from the source system with the data from each target system. It checks for any discrepancies, like missing accounts, extra accounts, or mismatched privileges. 
4. Conflict resolution (if necessary):
   • If discrepancies are found, they might be resolved automatically based on predefined policies. For instance, an orphaned account (an account that exists in a target system but not in the source system) might be automatically deactivated. 
   • In cases where automatic resolution isn't possible or desired, discrepancies might be flagged for manual review by administrators. 
5. Update propagation:
   • Based on the comparison and any conflict resolution, necessary updates are sent from the IAM system to the target systems. This could involve creating, updating, or deleting accounts or adjusting privileges. 
6. Logging and reporting:
   • All actions taken during the reconciliation process are logged. This includes data access, discrepancies found, updates made, and manual interventions. 
   • Reports might be generated to summarize the reconciliation process, highlighting any issues that need attention. 
7. Notification:
   • Stakeholders or system administrators may be notified about the results of the reconciliation, especially if there are issues that need manual intervention or review. 
8. Finalization:
   • Once all updates are made and any issues addressed, the reconciliation process is considered complete until the next scheduled or triggered run.

When it comes to addressing your unique security and compliance needs in the realm of identity governance, there is no better partner to assist you. Explore how our expertise can help you streamline and enhance reconciliation processes, ensuring the security of sensitive data, regardless of its location.