Survey: Majority Of Government IT Professionals Believe Identity Management Importance Will Increase

  • Mar 05, 2008

Quest Software Inc. recently announced the results of its Identity Management Government Survey of federal, state, local and municipal government IT professionals conducted by Pursuant, a Washington, D.C.-based public opinion research firm.

The research, commissioned by Quest Software, reveals new and significant data on government IT professionals’ perceptions on the progress of compliance with mandates such as HSPD-12, FIPS 201, and FISMA, the barriers to success, and the impact on national security, critical public infrastructure and personal security.

“The survey casts necessary attention on the complex business and technology challenges confronting government agencies as they work to achieve identity management requirements, which will only increase in importance,” said Scott Hastings, partner at Deep Water Point and former CIO of the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. “To bolster their business cases, government IT professionals must employ solutions that address the entire enterprise and demonstrate incremental progress in security and privacy enhancements that generate real operational benefits.”

The survey indicates that although most government IT professionals (69 percent) believe that identity management is “very important” to their organization or agency, even more overwhelmingly believe its importance will increase (72 percent) in the next five years. A large majority of government IT professionals report that their organization or agency has complied with the following steps: secured information systems (76 percent), secured personnel information (72 percent), and secured access to facilities (75 percent).

About 35 percent of government IT professionals project that their organization or agency will be compliant with government identity management mandates within the next two years, while 37 percent report that they “don’t know” when their organization or agency will be compliant. This response may reflect the challenges inherent in the complexity of the requirements and the difficulty experienced by respondents in juggling ongoing and unfunded identity management efforts with existing priorities.

Additional key findings of the Identity Management Government Survey include:

  • A heterogeneous (mixed-application) environment is “very challenging” or “somewhat challenging” according to 51 percent for their organization or agency’s identity management system.
  • According to a majority (53 percent) of respondents, national security should be the priority, even if Americans’ personal privacy is negatively impacted.
  • Respondents cited lack of funding as the main obstacle that would most impact their organization or agency’s ability to reach their identity management objectives (31 percent). During the next five years, many (45 percent) think the amount budgeted for identity management projects and services will increase; very few (5 percent) think it will decrease.
  • However, half of respondents (50 percent) believe Congress should provide more funding to agencies to develop and implement identity management systems; a nearly equal number (49 percent) believe it should require greater planning and collaboration among federal agencies and state and local governments.
  • More city, county and municipal government IT professionals are likely to be “very concerned” (59 percent) about compromised critical public infrastructure than federal (45 percent) or state (38 percent) government IT professionals.
  • Over one-half of government IT professionals (56 percent) have either personally seen or heard about someone violating their organization or agency’s security protocols.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities