Identity Is the New Security Perimeter

News | 26. October 2026

As organizations embrace cloud services, AI agents, APIs, and hybrid environments, identity and access management has become one of the most critical foundations of cybersecurity. According to Samlink’s CISO Christian Eichin, controlling who has access to what, and why, is no longer just an IT issue, but a business risk management challenge.

For years, cybersecurity discussions have revolved around patching vulnerabilities, monitoring systems, and protecting networks. While all of these remain important, Christian Eichin believes identity and access management (IAM) sits at the very foundation of effective security.

“If you secure everything inside a house but leave the front door unlocked, attackers can simply walk in. Identity is that front door,” Christian says.

The growing importance of IAM is closely linked to how modern IT environments have evolved. Organizations now operate across cloud platforms, on-premises systems, applications, APIs, automation platforms, and AI-powered services. As a result, identities are no longer limited to employees.

“Today, everything is becoming an identity. We have users, APIs, bots, workloads, and AI agents. Every new identity expands the attack surface,” Christian explains.

Cybercriminals increasingly recognize that stealing credentials can be easier and more effective than exploiting technical vulnerabilities. Once an attacker gains access to a privileged account, traditional security controls can quickly become irrelevant.

“Identity and access management is the primary control. If you control identity, you control access. And if you control access, you control risk.”

IAM Must Be Governed, Not Just Managed

While many organizations have invested in IAM tools, Christian warns that technology alone does not solve the problem. The biggest risks often emerge from excessive privileges, poor visibility, and weak governance processes.

Historically, access rights were often granted permanently and accumulated over time. Employees changed roles, projects ended, and systems evolved, yet privileges remained in place.

“People tend to collect access rights. The principle of least privilege means giving only the access that is truly necessary, and only for as long as it is needed.”

This challenge has become even more complicated in hybrid environments where identities are distributed across multiple systems and platforms. Organizations may struggle to understand who has access to what, which identities are still active, and whether access remains justified.

According to Christian, effective IAM requires strong governance throughout the entire identity lifecycle, from onboarding to role changes and eventually offboarding. Access reviews must also be meaningful rather than treated as a routine compliance exercise.

“Many organizations still treat IAM as a tool. In reality, it is a governance challenge. You need visibility, accountability, and continuous review.”

AI Is Changing the Identity Landscape

Artificial intelligence is introducing a new layer of complexity to identity management. While AI can strengthen defensive capabilities, it also enables attackers to operate faster and at greater scale.

Christian points to AI-powered impersonation, synthetic identities, and autonomous agents as emerging concerns.

“We already see identity impersonation attempts today. AI simply makes them more convincing and easier to scale.”

At the same time, organizations are beginning to deploy AI agents that act on behalf of users and systems. These agents require identities, permissions, and access rights of their own.

“AI is a force multiplier on both attack and defense. The more autonomous identities we introduce, the more important identity governance becomes.”

The consequences of a compromised identity can also be significantly greater than before. A single account may now control multiple workflows, services, or AI agents, amplifying the potential impact of misuse.

From Static Access to Continuous Trust

To address these challenges, IAM is shifting away from static access models toward continuous verification and adaptive controls. Concepts such as Zero Trust and Just-in-Time access are becoming increasingly important.

Instead of granting permanent access, organizations are increasingly providing privileges only when they are needed and removing them immediately afterward.

“It’s not about slowing people down. It’s about reducing permanent access and continuously validating that access is still justified.”

This evolution reflects a broader shift in cybersecurity thinking. Rather than asking only who a person is, organizations must continuously evaluate whether access remains appropriate in a given context.

For organizations looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, Christian recommends starting with a simple but often surprisingly difficult task.

“Get full visibility into who has access to what and why. Once you understand that, you can begin to control and reduce risk.”