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Modernizing Public Sector IAM: Challenges and solutions with ServiceNow

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Key IAM challenges in the Public Sector

In the public sector, managing identities and access to critical systems is more than an IT concern – it’s a cornerstone of security, compliance, and efficient service delivery. Government agencies deal with highly sensitive citizen data and must ensure only the right people have the right access at the right. Yet despite its importance, effective IAM in government is difficult to achieve. Legacy systems, limited budgets, strict regulations, and evolving cyber threats all complicate public sector IAM. This article explores the key IAM challenges facing public sector organizations and how a modern ServiceNow-based IAM solution can help overcome them.

Key IAM challenges in the Public Sector

Public sector organizations face several unique challenges when implementing IAM. Some of the most pressing issues include:

 

  • Aging Legacy Systems and Siloed Identities: Government agencies often run on legacy IT systems and disparate databases in different departments. Identities and access rights are scattered across these silos, making centralized management difficult.. Modernizing is hard when critical legacy capabilities must be preserve. In fact, a U.S. report identified many federal systems in urgent need of security updates. Until agencies unify these systems, they struggle with inconsistent access controls and blind spots in oversight.

 

  • Limited Resources and Expertise: Public sector IAM programs frequently operate under constrained budgets, aging infrastructure, and shortages of specialized IAM experts. Unlike large enterprises, government IT teams may lack staff dedicated to identity security. Budget pressures mean security improvements must justify costs. These constraints make it challenging to invest in new IAM tools or comprehensive training. The result can be manual processes that are error-prone and inefficient, leaving security gaps.

 

  • Complex Security and Compliance Requirements: Government agencies face some of the strictest security standards and data protection laws. They must comply with regulations like GDPR in Europe and follow national cybersecurity mandates. Unauthorized access to citizen data can have severe geopolitical, financial, and reputational consequences. Moreover, public sector IAM systems must pass internal and external audits and protect privacy by design. Meeting these requirements with legacy tools is difficult – failure can result in heavy fines (up to 4% of global turnover or €20 million under GDPR).

 

  • Password Sprawl and User Frustration: Government employees often juggle dozens of applications – each with its own login. 70% of users have more than 10 password-protected accounts, leading to “password overload”. This situation tempts users to reuse passwords or write them down, weakening security. Introducing multi-factor authentication (MFA) is essential but can be seen as cumbersome if not implemented smoothly. Public sector workers and even citizens accessing e-services expect convenient, single sign-on experiences. Balancing strong authentication with usability is an ongoing challenge.

 

  • Evolving Threat Landscape: Governments are prime targets for cyber attacks, from criminal hackers to state-sponsored threats. Stolen personal data can be used to impersonate staff and breach systems. Without robust IAM, agencies risk data breaches, fraud, and disruption of critical services. The push for Zero Trust in government is fundamentally an IAM challenge – requiring continuous verification of every user’s identity and access rights

How ServiceNow IAM Solves Public Sector IAM Challenges

To address these challenges, public sector organizations are turning to modern IAM solutions that emphasize integration, automation, and compliance. Appmore’s ServiceNow IAM is a solution built specifically to meet stringent IAM and Identity Governance needs on the ServiceNow platform. Here’s how a ServiceNow-based IAM solution helps tackle public sector IAM pain points:

 

  • Unified Identity Platform: A ServiceNow IAM solution connects siloed systems into a single source of truth for identities and access rights.  Appmore’s IAM application, for example, comes with out-of-the-box connectors for common government systems – from on-premises Active Directory and HR databases to cloud apps like Office 365, Salesforce, and ERP systems. This means agencies can manage user accounts and permissions across legacy and modern applications in one place. By centralizing identity data, public sector IT gains the visibility and control needed to ensure the right people have the right access across all departments.

 

  • Automation of Lifecycle Processes: Automation is critical when resources are limited. A ServiceNow IAM platform automates the joiner-mover-leaver lifecycle – from provisioning new hires’ accounts to updating access when roles change and promptly deprovisioning users who leave. For instance, Appmore’s IAM application automatically handles access requests and provisioning workflows across systems. This reduces the IT workload and human error. Crucially, all accounts and access are removed when an employee exits, closing the common security gap of orphaned accounts. Automation ensures no one slips through the cracks, helping public sector teams maintain security despite lean staffing.

 

  • Enhanced Security and Compliance Controls: An advanced IAM solution enforces security best practices by design. ServiceNow IAM can implement role-based access control and the principle of least privilege at scale – only users who truly need access to a system have it. It also supports strong authentication and monitors for critical access combinations to prevent fraud. For compliance, everything is tracked: detailed reporting and identity analytics are available through ServiceNow’s dashboards. Regular access certification campaigns can be run so managers periodically review and attest to users’ permissions. These features help agencies effortlessly pass audits and meet regulations, avoiding costly penalties for non-compliance.

 

  • Improved User Experience: A well-implemented ServiceNow IAM solution makes security convenient, addressing the long-standing usability issues. With centralized single sign-on integration, users can log in once to access multiple systems, greatly reducing password fatigue. Furthermore, ServiceNow’s familiar portal interface allows employees to request access or report issues through a user-friendly service catalog instead of emailing IT. Appmore’s IAM application extends this with multi-channel support – staff can request or approve access via a web portal, mobile app, chat, or even SMS. Faster access provisioning means new hires get to work on Day 1 with all the permissions they need, and existing staff don’t face delays when their job duties expand. By making secure access easier, agencies can boost employee productivity and satisfaction while still enforcing strong controls.

 

  • Cost and Efficiency Gains: Modernizing IAM can deliver significant cost savings – a major benefit for public entities under budget pressure. With ServiceNow IAM, agencies can eliminate duplicate identity systems, saving on license and maintenance costs. Removing excess or unused access not only improves security but also cuts software licensing spend for idle accounts. Automation lowers administrative overhead, freeing up IT personnel to focus on strategic projects instead of manual account management. Because Appmore’s IAM application runs on the ServiceNow SaaS platform, agencies can avoid large infrastructure investments; the solution is cloud-based and updated regularly, which is especially valuable for organizations with limited IT infrastructure budgets. ServiceNow IAM solution helps the public sector do more with less by reducing waste and operating more efficiently.

Conclusion

Identity management in the public sector may be challenging, but it is also transformative when done right. By addressing legacy integration, automating workflows, and baking in compliance, a solution like Appmore’s ServiceNow IAM turns IAM from a headache into an enabler for digital government. Public sector agencies can strengthen security posture and protect citizen data against modern threats while also speeding up service delivery and improving user experience. Importantly, they can achieve all this within the realities of public budgets and regulations. With the public sector increasingly expected to deliver seamless digital services, now is the time to modernize identity and access management. A unified ServiceNow-based IAM platform provides the foundation of trust and efficiency that government organizations need in order to confidently embrace digital transformation. By investing in IAM today, public sector leaders can ensure that only the right people access the right resources – safeguarding public assets, building citizen trust, and enabling better services for all.

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