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Beyond IAM Silos: Why the Identity Security Fabric is Essential for Securing AI and Non-Human Identities. Identity security fabric (ISF) is a unified architectural framework that brings together disparate identity capabilities. Through ISF, identity governance and administration (IGA), access management (AM), privileged access management (PAM), and identity threat detection and response (ITDR) are all integrated into a single, cohesive control plane. Building on Gartner's definition of "identity fabric," identity security fabric takes a more proactive approach, securing all identity types (human, machine, and AI agents) across on-prem, hybrid, multi-cloud, and complex IT environments. Why identity security fabric matters now As cyberattacks become more prevalent and sophisticated, traditional approaches characterized by siloed identity tools can't keep pace with evolving threats. Today's rapidly expanding attack surface is driven primarily by non-human identities (NHIs), including service accounts, API keys, and AI agents. Fragmented point solutions weaken an organization's overall security posture, increase operational complexity, and elevate risk due to inconsistent configurations and limited threat visibility. This fragmentation leads to inefficiency as security and IT teams struggle with disjointed workflows. Critical drivers for adoption: Key benefits of identity security fabric: Core principles of an identity security fabric The design principles of identity security fabric center on creating a seamless and secure UX, reducing complexity, ensuring compliance, and enabling AI-driven modernization by connecting people, processes, and technology through an identity-first approach. The ten fundamental elements that guide an identity fabric architecture, according to Tech Republic's summary of Gartner's identity fabric principles. How identity security fabric works: The multi-layer architecture ISF uses a multi-layer, vendor-neutral architecture that enables organizations to build upon cohesive identity and access management (IAM) capabilities, real-time risk-aware access controls, and seamless integration. Layer 1: Integrated identity security capabilities This layer extends beyond basic authentication to encompass all critical security functions for the identity lifecycle: Protection throughout the identity lifecycle An effective identity security fabric protects before, during, and after authentication: Layer 2: Identity orchestration Orchestration is the critical layer that transforms disconnected IAM tools into a true fabric, enabling real-time threat prevention and response. KuppingerCole defines orchestration as a core component of identity fabrics, highlighting its role in connecting existing investments with newer, specialized capabilities to incrementally reduce technical debt. Key orchestration functions: Layer 3: Comprehensive integrations Identity security fabric must extend across the entire technology stack. Deep, bidirectional integrations connect every identity to every resource, eliminating the silos that create security gaps and enabling consistent policy enforcement everywhere. Through standardized integrations built on open protocols (SAML, OAuth, OIDC, SCIM, LDAP), the fabric accommodates the multi-vendor reality, enabling organizations to adopt best-of-breed tools as needed. Integration scope: Weaving the fabric across the enterprise Identity fabric effectiveness depends on its ability to enforce policy across four key domains: The multi-vendor reality By embracing a composable architecture that relies on open protocols, the identity security fabric enables organizations to successfully unify their IAM infrastructure, even when components are sourced from multiple vendors. This approach reduces risk, avoids vendor lock-in, and provides strategic flexibility to integrate specialized security capabilities (such as IGA or PAM) without compromising the unified security architecture. This vendor-agnostic extensibility is a core mandate of the overall identity fabric concept. Benefits of identity security fabric Adopting an identity security fabric delivers security and business advantages, aligning enterprise resilience with digital transformation and AI adoption goals. Security benefits Business advantages Identity security fabric use cases ISF weaves security into every identity from end-to-end: Regulatory compliance for the AI era A unified identity security fabric provides the foundational evidence required for both traditional and emerging regulatory frameworks. Traditional compliance Centralized policy management and consistent logging simplify audits for frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR. The IGA component ensures provable compliance with the principle of least privilege and provides comprehensive access certification records for human and non-human identities. AI-specific mandates The fabric is essential in preparing for new global standards, like the EU AI Act and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. These regulations require strict accountability, explainability, and auditability for automated systems. ISF solves this by: The future of identity: Self-healing architectures As AI systems proliferate, NHIs far outnumber human users. Identity security fabric must evolve into self-healing architectures, where AI-driven analytics detect anomalies, enforce policies, and adapt to new risks in real time. Emerging capabilities Organizations that implement identity security fabric now are better positioned to thrive in an AI-native, regulation-heavy, and constantly evolving digital landscape. FAQs How does Identity Security Fabric differ from traditional IAM? IAM often manages access in silos. Identity security fabric integrates IAM, governance, and adaptive authentication into a continuous, unified identity-centric control plane that spans hybrid environments, including both human and AI agents. Is Identity Security Fabric the same as Zero Trust? No. Zero Trust is a security model (never trust, always verify). Identity security fabric is the architectural foundation and set of enabling technologies that enforces identity-driven policies to make Zero Trust possible across all access decisions. Does Identity Security Fabric cover non-human identities? Yes. It governs service accounts, workloads, APIs, and AI agents, ensuring that NHIs follow the same least-privilege and compliance requirements as human users. How does identity security fabric relate to cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA)? Cybersecurity mesh, a term coined by Gartner, is a collaborative environment of tools and controls designed to secure a distributed enterprise. Identity security fabric is the specialized, identity-centric control plane that enforces consistent, adaptive policies for all identities (human and machine) across the entire mesh, which is essential for Zero Trust enablement. Turn identity into your strongest defense Discover how the Okta Platform empowers organizations to build a comprehensive identity security fabric that seamlessly unifies access control, threat detection and response, and governance, providing a single layer of defense. Learn more