Paul Walker, Field Strategist, Omada highlights how integrating Zero Trust with Identity Governance and Administration brings identity‑centric governance to the forefront of continuously verified, context‑aware enterprise security.

Zero Trust: A critical framework

Zero Trust has emerged as a critical framework in modern enterprise cybersecurity.

It addresses a fundamental weakness in traditional perimeter-based models: The over-reliance on implicit trust.

Once inside the network, users and devices are often granted broad access, making it easier for attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally if they breach the perimeter.

As organisations shift to this new model, the role of identity and more specifically, Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) becomes central.

Enterprises need to understand the integration of Zero Trust and Identity and Access Management (IGA) and their combined strategic benefits and potential challenges.

Read on for practical recommendations for building a robust identity-centric security architecture.

Identity at the core of Zero Trust

At the heart of Zero Trust lies the principle of continuous verification, not just of network traffic but of identity and context.

This model demands more than authentication and authorisation; it requires comprehensive governance over who has access, why and under what conditions.

IGA provides the structure to define and manage this governance.

While Zero Trust enforces access decisions in real-time, IGA ensures those decisions are appropriate, compliant and business-aligned.

The Value of IGA in a Zero Trust World

1. Governance-driven access controls

Zero Trust enforces strict and ongoing verification of access attempts, but the foundation of these policies must be rooted in governance.

IGA platforms provide the necessary context to define access based on roles, attributes and business needs, with modern platforms increasingly reviewing access against user behaviour activity.

This alignment ensures that Zero Trust enforcement reflects actual organisational policy.

2. Comprehensive visibility and audit trails

IGA enhances visibility across the identity lifecycle, tracking permission assignment, access requests and user activity.

When combined with Zero Trust’s enforcement layer, this enables full traceability of access decisions, supporting compliance, audits and forensic investigations.

3. Reduced identity-based risk

By adhering to least-privilege principles and removing implicit trust, Zero Trust limits the spread of potential threats.

IGA reinforces this by continuously reviewing and recertifying access rights, helping identify excessive permissions, orphaned accounts and toxic role combinations.

4. Contextual and adaptive access decisions

Modern IGA platforms generate risk-aware insights, such as policy violations or suspicious behaviours that can influence real-time Zero Trust access policies.

This enables dynamic responses based on both technical signals and business logic.

5. Rapid response capabilities

In the event of a breach or insider threat, containment depends on the immediate revocation of access.

IGA supports emergency deprovisioning and exception handling consistently across cloud, SaaS and on-premises environments.

Integration challenges

Despite the natural alignment, integrating IGA and Zero Trust introduces several complexities.

The first of these is complex identity modelling.

Many organisations struggle to model diverse relationships, such as those involving temporary staff or employees with dual roles.

Inflexible IGA schemas can limit the accuracy of access policies and hinder Zero Trust effectiveness. Another complexity is policy sprawl.

Zero Trust encourages the creation of detailed, granular policies.

Without a centralised governance framework, this can lead to inconsistencies and administrative overload.

IGA mitigates this by centralising and standardising policy definitions – but only if properly configured and maintained.

Data quality dependencies are another issue. The effectiveness of Zero Trust relies on accurate identity data.

Errors in role definitions, outdated entitlements or inconsistent metadata degrade policy enforcement.

High-quality, continuously updated identity data is essential and this is where IGA must be mature and automated. Integration gaps must also be addressed.

IGA solutions need to integrate with enforcement layers such as an Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR).

Many legacy IGA platforms are not designed for real-time API-based orchestration, resulting in misalignment between governance policies and enforcement. Organisational resistance is the final complexity.

Both Zero Trust and IGA introduce change. Increased scrutiny and certification responsibilities can lead to user fatigue and resistance.

Without streamlined processes and clear communication, adoption may stall.

Recommendations for successful integration

To fully realise the benefits of Zero Trust and IGA, organisations should consider several strategies. For instance, they need to ensure strong identity hygiene.

Maintain accurate and complete identity data – including attributes, roles and entitlements – as the foundation of all access decisions. It’s also wise to automate where possible.

Automate joiner-mover-leaver processes, access reviews and Segregation of Duties (SoD) enforcement to reduce manual overhead and support scalability.

Centralising access policies is another wise choice. Develop unified access policies governed through IGA and consistently enforced across all access points.

Additionally, establish a system to facilitate continuous feedback. Use behavioural analytics, audit logs and governance signals to refine policies and detect anomalous access patterns in real time.

Finally, invest in integration and orchestration. Connect IGA to enforcement tools via APIs to support real-time access decisions and consistent policy application.

Complementary technologies

Zero Trust and IGA are not just compatible; they are complementary.

Zero Trust offers dynamic enforcement capabilities, while IGA provides the governance logic that ensures access is aligned with business intent and regulatory requirements.

Together, they enable a more secure, efficient and compliant enterprise environment.

The key lies in aligning these frameworks strategically, with well-integrated platforms, clear policies and organisational readiness to adapt.