Modernization of the IAM Infrastructure and Gradual Replacement of the Existing System

At a Glance

Sector:
Health and accident insurance

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Region:
Switzerland

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Challenge:

Modernization and replacement of the existing IAM infrastructure

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Products and services:

SailPoint IdentityIQ

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Outcomes:

• Modern architecture
• Better authorization assignment: more efficient, more structured, easier to certify
• More intuitive user interface
• Faster definition of SoD rules
• Easier to expand and customize

Overview

The Swiss health and accident insurance company Helsana protects over 1.9 million people against the financial consequences of illness, accidents, maternity, and the need for care in old age. Helsana has over 3000 employees and, with a premium volume of over six billion Swiss francs, occupies a leading position in the Swiss insurance market.

Challenge

For over 12 years, Helsana has been using an IAM solution that was extended and adapted as needed. The solution proved to be increasingly difficult to maintain, however, and its usability was no longer up-to-date. After an in-depth internal review, Helsana decided against further updates. By tender, they sought a partner who would gradually develop a long-term, strategic IAM solution and plan a smooth migration from the old to the new solution.

The project requirements were extensive. The first step: analyzing the existing processes and designing the new IAM user lifecycles. The role-based access control had to be reassessed and adapted to future demand. The existing system connections to the existing solution had to be identified and migrated. Of course, knowledge had to be reliably transferred to Helsana’s administration. Above all, however, Helsana was looking for a long-term, consistent IAM solution, which could wrap up various ad-hoc implementations of the past and initiate plannable IAM development.

Solution

In the tender, iC Consult won over Helsana with a concept based on SailPoint IdentityIQ. In view of the complexity of the task, it was jointly decided to carry out the project in two phases.

Phase 1 began in the third quarter of 2017 and initially included basic installation and configuration. At the same time, it was considered how the existing IAM user lifecycle processes and the existing complex role model could be implemented and optimized with SailPoint IdentityIQ.

As a result, role assignment rules were unbundled and bulk migrations were further automated. These measures were supplemented by clearly defined administrative processes, both for role owners and for operations. For Helsana employees, transparency was at the top of their wish list. Where do I find my authorizations? How can I take over and process a colleague’s request? To prevent these questions from arising in the future, the user interface was fundamentally revised. Terms were standardized; the application and ordering system was centralized and further automated. A new web frontend bundles all of this on the user side and ensures fast access to the desired functions. Further measures of the first phase addressed basic reporting as well as software distribution via assignment of software roles. Thanks to the very close partnership, this phase of the project was completed in just one year.

For the second phase, which has been running since the end of 2018, the following is planned: migrating all connectors, extending the recertification, and further optimizing the IAM user lifecycle processes. Of central importance, however, is the expansion of reporting and the implementation of further security and compliance requirements of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

Outcome

Although the project is not yet complete, Helsana is very happy with the results achieved thus far. The assignment of authorizations is now much more structured, controllable, and easier to certify. IAM user lifecycle processes can be applied efficiently and are auditable. Security and compliance are guaranteed. The new web frontend offers users more transparency. Together with the extended automation, numerous processes can be handled much more efficiently. The leaner architecture of SailPoint IdentityIQ also offers tangible hardware advantages. Where previously seven to eight servers were needed, three are now sufficient. In addition, the new infrastructure is easier to maintain.

Helsana considers the very good cooperation with iC Consult at least as important as the milestones achieved.