Beyond 98%: Achieving certainty in non-employee identity security

Enterprises increasingly rely on third-party access. For contractors, vendors, and partners, these non-employee identities are essential for business agility and growth. However, granting access to sensitive data and systems to those outside your traditional workforce introduces inherent risks. Compounding this challenge is the rise of increasingly sophisticated methods of deception, like deep fakes, which can make it harder than ever to be sure that the person logging in is who they claim to be. Verification for non-employees is especially important, as there's often less vetting involved compared to full-time employees.

Many organizations operate under the illusion that a "near certainty" of identity verification is sufficient. A 98% confidence level might sound impressive, but in the realm of identity security, that seemingly small margin of error can have significant consequences. Think about it: even a 2% chance of failure translates to a substantial risk when scaled across numerous non-employee identities. A small percentage of uncertainty can translate to significant risk at scale, especially with numerous non-employee identities. Are you comfortable with that level of exposure?

The consequences of inadequate identity verification can be devastating. Successful impersonation or credential compromise can lead to data breaches where sensitive information falls into the wrong hands, financial losses from fraudulent transactions and compliance penalties, and reputational damage leading to loss of customer trust and brand erosion. Strong identity assurance at the point of onboarding is crucial to mitigate these risks. You need to be certain that the person gaining access is, in fact, the authorized individual.

Identity proofing & verification with SailPoint Non-Employee Risk Management
SailPoint Non-Employee Risk Management (NE) directly addresses this challenge. NE extends identity security to contractors, vendors, partners, and other third parties—users who operate outside traditional workforce systems but still need access to critical applications and data.

Through integration with verification partners, NE enables organizations to validate non-employee identities with high assurance. By leveraging digital credentials—such as biometric-backed IDs issued by your organization or a trusted entity—organizations can confirm the right non-employee is onboarded.

Key features and benefits

NE offers a range of features to ensure robust identity verification without sacrificing user experience:

• Provider choice: NE integrates with leading providers in the market, giving you options to align with your existing security infrastructure, compliance requirements, and regional preferences. This helps ensure your onboarding process aligns with organizational preferences and evolving standards.
• Configurable acceptance criteria: Define which credentials to accept—ranging from government-issued digital IDs to verified credentials issued by your organization—based on your security and compliance requirements.
• Frictionless user experience: Streamline onboarding for contractors, vendors, and partners with enhanced identity verification processes designed to minimize friction without sacrificing assurance.

The benefits are clear:

• Reduce impersonation risk: Confirm non-employee identities with high assurance before granting access.
• Faster onboarding: Eliminate manual back-and-forth, enabling contractors, vendors, and partners to start work quickly.
• Strengthen compliance: Address potential audit requirements and close gaps by validating identities up front.
• Improved user experience: Provide a smoother onboarding journey while maintaining trust and security.

Don't settle for "good enough"
Don't let a false sense of security leave your organization vulnerable. Assess your current non-employee identity verification processes and ask yourself: are we really confident in the identities of those accessing our systems?

SailPoint is your trusted partner for achieving robust identity assurance and mitigating the risks associated with non-employee access. Contact us today for a demo or consultation to learn more about NE and its capabilities. Let us help you close that 2% gap and secure your enterprise.

Read more about Non-Employee Risk Management and its identity verification use cases.

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND NOTHING CONVEYED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE ANY FORM OF LEGAL ADVICE. SAILPOINT CANNOT GIVE SUCH ADVICE AND RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONTACT LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING APPLICABLE LEGAL ISSUES.