Identify tasks to automate issuance of authentication credentials for joiners
Implementation Effort: Medium – This task involves analysis and planning by IT and identity teams to identify which onboarding steps should be automated, such as issuing Temporary Access Passes or activating accounts.
User Impact: Low – The work is done behind the scenes by administrators and does not affect end-users at this stage.
Overview
Identifying the tasks needed to automate how new employees receive their authentication credentials is an important planning step in strengthening identity lifecycle management. This includes figuring out what credentials need to be issued (such as Temporary Access Passes), and when and how these credentials should be generated and delivered. It also involves reviewing systems like HR platforms, identity sources, and ticketing systems to map out which actions can trigger automated issuance. This planning supports the Zero Trust principle "Verify explicitly" by ensuring credentials are only issued after robust identity verification. It also prepares for "Use least privilege access" by linking credential issuance to defined roles or onboarding stages. If skipped, this step can lead to inconsistent onboarding, manual bottlenecks, or gaps that threat actors could exploit.