Identity and access management (IAM) is about trust, security, and business growth. It is the framework that determines who can access what within an organization, and how that access is controlled. When IAM programs fail, the consequences are immediate. Few areas of cybersecurity are as visible to clients, employees, and partners as identity. “IAM is the piece that helps organizations control who’s gaining access and how they’re getting access into the systems,” says Todd Musselman, Managing Director at KeyData Cyber. With more than two decades of experience leading identity initiatives across industries, Musselman has seen firsthand how strong identity practices not only protect against breaches but also enable digital transformation and long-term business resilience.
Beyond Security: IAM as a Business Enabler
For many executives, IAM is still seen as a technical safeguard, a way to prevent breaches and limit access to sensitive systems. Musselman sees this as a narrow-minded view. “We’re not implementing security for security’s sake,” he explains. “We’re implementing it to help organizations control the risks they have, and those risks are ultimately business risks.” As organizations face mounting threats, this mindset is changing. Each day brings reports of breaches, ransomware, or state-sponsored cyberattacks. Take last year’s security breach at Healthcare Services Group, where the personal information of hundreds of thousands of individuals was stolen from its computer systems. It’s a painful reminder of how identity failures can translate quickly into real-world harm. “The wrong credentials with the wrong person, and all the other security you have isn’t going to matter. Firewalls won’t stop someone from exfiltrating data if they have compromised credentials.”
But IAM is more than just a defensive measure. Properly implemented, it becomes a platform for business growth. Consumer identity, for example, helps organizations create more consistent and secure interactions with their customers. “If you’re a bank or a hospital, your ability to protect customer data is table stakes,” Musselman says. “Failing to do so isn’t just a reputational issue. It can put you out of business.”
Practical Steps Toward Building Trust
How can companies strengthen trust through IAM? Musselman highlights three practical actions leaders can take:
1. Keep an Identity Roadmap.
“Every organization should maintain a roadmap for how their identity program evolves over time,” Musselman says. Businesses change constantly with new applications, acquisitions, or divestitures. Without a clear plan, gaps form, leading to vulnerabilities and poor user experiences.
2. Measure What Matters.
Metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical. “Without metrics, it’s hard to know where you stand, let alone justify funding,” he says. “Dashboards that track progress help leadership see whether identity investments are reducing risk and improving user experience.”
3. Align Risk with Context.
Not every company requires the same level of IAM controls. A financial institution may need rigorous compliance checks, while a manufacturer with thin margins may require a lighter approach. “It’s always a risk-based conversation,” Musselman says. “You need to tailor IAM to the industry’s level of criticality.”
AI and the Next Chapter of IAM
Many processes that remain manual today, such as periodic access recertifications, are ripe for automation. “AI is already helping compare user access patterns and flag anomalies,” he says. “Instead of managers reviewing every item, they can focus on differences AI identifies.” The efficiency gains are substantial, but so are the risks. AI-driven agents that create or revoke access accounts need their own governance. “Who’s watching the watchmen?” Musselman asks. “You need new controls to ensure these AI agents aren’t making inappropriate changes.”
His firm is investing heavily in AI capabilities, recognizing that automation will accelerate deployments and reduce the human workload, but he cautions that controls and audit mechanisms must evolve just as quickly.
The Untapped Opportunity of Non-Human Identities
While much of the focus has been on securing human users, Musselman points to a looming challenge: non-human identities. These include machine accounts, APIs, bots, and service identities. According to a CyberArk study, for every human identity in an enterprise there are roughly 45 non-human ones. In a 100,000-person company, that equates to 4.5 million non-human identities. “Most organizations don’t even know what those are, let alone how to manage them,” Musselman warns. “This is where the next big opportunity and challenge in identity lies.” Ignoring this domain leaves enterprises exposed, particularly as automation and AI scale the number of non-human accounts exponentially.
Trust as the End Goal
IAM is ultimately about trust. It underpins digital transformation, consumer confidence, and enterprise resilience. “Identity has evolved dramatically over the past 20 years, but the core mission hasn’t changed,” he reflects. “It’s about ensuring the right people — or machines — have the right access at the right time.”
To connect with Todd Musselman and learn more about his work, follow him on LinkedIn.
