Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to make purchases at our exclusive one-time Black Friday Sale! It is you the shoppers who support the site and the work we do here at Links Business Group LLC.

The sale is now closed and prices have returned to their normal levels.

Have a great weekend!

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin Links,
Links Business Group LLC

Greetings Everyone!

Just a quick reminder that there are now less than 12 hours left to save big on all Identity Access Management (IAM) Success Products. There has never been (and will never again be) a better time to stock up on everything you need to engage and complete your IAM Programs successfully. Remember too that IAM Success Tips books, audio, and IAMWorld Academy Memberships also make the perfect gift for the Project/Program Managers, IT Consultants, Developers, CIO’s, CTO’s and Implementers on your holiday shopping list.

Hurry over to the Black Friday Sale Page now and claim your 40 – 60% savings before it is too late.

To all everyone who is already shopping or has shopped today’s sale, a hearty THANK YOU!!

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin Links,
Links Business Group LLC
Author: IAM Success Tips Books

Greetings everyone!

It’s here! IAM Design Secrets – or, as we’re officially calling it IAM Success Tips:  Volume III is now available in glorious PDF.

Here are some of the some of the time saving, headache saving, money saving, CIO rejoicing benefits you will quickly gain from Volume III:

• You and your design team and architects will ramp up quickly. Over 12 years of IAM Design tips, tricks, strategies compressed in one portable, easy-to-read book
• You will save immense amounts of time not reading through stacks and stacks of vendor manuals web searches and making frantic calls to industry analyst firms. Know everything you need to know before you pick up a 3000 page vendor manual. When you finally do have to pick up the giant manual, you’ll be able to only spend your time on only the handful of pieces that are relevant to your design.
• Save countless thousands of hours (and dollars!) on expensive vendor and “industry analyst” seminars. Have all the design information you need right in your laptop, PDA, smart phone, or Kindle.
• Reuse and re-purpose your existing infrastructure investments.
• Quickly understand, select and design the right identity model for your organization.
• Become your organization’s “super champion architect” by creating useful, extensible, scalable, efficient, effective and business relevant IAM Designs
• Understand how IAM industry concepts such as “User Centricity” and “Federation” can impact your business, and more importantly: how they won’t
• Learn what every organization must understand about roles and legacy systems *before* the design
• Become efficient and effective at collecting, analyzing and applying your actual business requirements to real-world design
• Hear exclusive Volume III rapid-train audio (RTA) and download design templates that you can review, study and even modify for your own use
• And much, much more

But what if there was even more?… Well, there is! In addition, to everything included between the digital “covers” of IAM Success Tips: Volume III, you also get the following bonuses:

• Exclusive Q & A with me, covering a range of topics not addressed in the public podcasts
• Our famous “Five Things the Big IAM Vendors Do Not Want You to Know” podcast
• “Discovering Discovery” audio program. This is one of the most important audio programs in our series and was only made available to early members of the Identity Management Success List. Now you can download your own copy and learn how to successfully “stack the deck” in favor of success when first launching your new IAM Program (or re-launching an existing one)
• “Identity Management Success – third party book review.” In this exclusive audio available to only to select list members, I interview one of the definitive IAM books on the market today (hint: it’s not one of mine )
• JUST ADDED TODAY! – “User-centric Identity vs. Centralized Identity and How it Impacts Your Design – Audio Program.” Hot off the presses of the newly released IAM Success Tips: Volume III, this mini audio book covers content read directly out of Volume III.

Ready to create your IAM Program Design today? Click the button below and immediately get all the secrets of Identity Access Management (IAM) architecture and design:

And of course, Volume III is backed by our 45-day money back guarantee.

IAM Success Tips: Volume I – Digital Edition

$99.00 USD Digital Edition / Print Edition available direct from Amazon.com (NOTE: Digital Editions purchased using the “Buy Now” button include lifetime updates and bonus downloads for FREE. Printed versions do not.)

“Corbin Links really has an uncanny ability to extract and clarify the business impact of Identity and Access Management solutions. He is one of our industry’s foremost writers on the topic of real-world IAM technology solutions and has the battle scars to provide real insight into how-to-implement and where to look for pitfalls and obstacles throughout the process.“ Matt Flynn, NetVision “I just finished reading Corbin Links’ IAM Success Tips: Volume I and really think it would be a great resource for any new IdM initiative your organization might be starting. I know that I will try to implement many of the suggestions in the book as we move forward with our project.” Mike Conklin, Lead Analyst, University of Rochester “Corbin Links’ IAM Success Tips helped us get off the ground quickly and plan our software projects right the first time. We were not interested in fad tools, or methods that had failed us before. Reading and  applying the tips has allowed us to build a sustainable security program that performs well within our budgetary guidelines and satisfies our stakeholders.” Theodore Pehnec, President, Pehnec Gems

In this easy-to-read action guide, Corbin H. Links shares key strategies for successfully conceiving and building an Identity and Access Management (IAM) Program. Mr. Links brings something to the table that no one else does – success tips and strategies that are truly vendor neutral, and designed to work for any organization regardless of size or business type. This book is the result of over 11 years designing and implementing IAM strategies for a diverse international client base. This book has one primary purpose: save organizations time and money in their Strategic Business Initiatives, without sacrificing quality or alignment with goals. Just a few of the things you will learn in Volume I: Understanding and applying our exclusive IAM Six Stage Model Deep discussion and action points for this “Missing Manual” for the “Missing Step” in almost all programs: the Concepting and Strategizing Stage Compare and contrast winning vs. failing IAM Program Strategies – and ensure your program team is on the Winning Side Understand when IAM is an appropriate business strategy — and also when it is not Extensive Appendix and Definitions sections covering all the crucial details and “TLA’s” (Three Letter Acronyms) An exclusive “Tour” of Regulations around the world, and how they impact IAM Programs How to find and work with the REAL stakeholders in any IAM Program and get them on your side All Digital Products come with a LIFETIME UPDATE GUARANTEE! Tired of investing in other business books, only to find that you have to buy each new revision? Not here. If we update any of the digital product versions you currently own, we will upgrade your existing version for FREE (Offer limited to upgrades of existing product types and versions previously or currently purchased) All Digital Products include additional BONUS items, including special white papers, strategies, members-only audio, and more! And much, much more

More Testimonials

“Corbin Links is definitely one of the premier experts in the identity world.
After years in the industry, you can sift between the individuals who just
understand the components of a technology and those who truly understand its
value to the business. Corbin not only has technical foresight but understands
its relationship to resolving business problems as well. He brings a wealth of
experience, insight and professionalism to the table, and is definitely someone
you would want in your network.“

Ashraf Motiwala, Director of Identity Management, Identropy, Inc.

“Mr. Links’ professionalism as seen in his ability to balance the needs of client
stakeholders with the time and budget constraints of the project ensured a
successful implementation.“

Dave Wessels, Project Manager, Crescent Enterprise Solutions

Greetings!

For everyone who has been asking “where in the heck is the podcast?” — It’s back with Episode 30. Please visit the IAM Success Tips site to read the latest show notes and listen to the show.

Can’t wait to get over to the IAM Success Tips site? Download Episode 30 right here, or subscribe via iTunes.

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

-Corbin Links, Manager
Links Business Group LLC

Greetings everyone!

I posted a copy of our Sun Identity & Access Management presentation over at IAMSuccessTips.com. Cross posting it here as well. Enjoy!

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

Hello Everyone:

The Identity Management Success Podcast has now moved to the Identity Access Management (IAM) Success Site.

The new Podcast is listed on iTunes, and is also available via direct RSS subscription.

Look forward to “seeing” you all over there.

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

Greetings!

Those of you that belong to the Identity Management List (thank you!) recently received the message about IAM Success Tips and related brand news. If by chance you have not seen that message, please note that the IAM Success Tips brand, and Identity Management Success blog, are moving this month. The new home will be over at IAMSuccessTips.com .

I wanted to get this note out a bit early, so that you’ll have a chance to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. The move will not affect the main web site at LinksBusinessGroup.com , only the blog and related categories. This blog then will become a place for company notice announcements and the like.

So, for LinksBusinessGroup.com company updates and news (consulting and services,) please stay tuned right here. For Identity Management Success podcasts, blogs, books, membership sites, forums, and related information, visit IAMSuccessTips.com .

Thanks for your support, and myself and the team at Links Business Group LLC look forward to bringing you exciting — and most importantly useful — services, software, and information products in 2009.

All the Best, of Identity Management Success.

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

Copyright 2003 – 2009, Links Business Group LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, I have been working with some clients on the creation and implementation of security questions. The password reset questions, or “security questions” are sometimes overlooked in the design and implementation of IAM Programs. Here are a few of my thoughts, and success tips for addressing the question of security questions.

First, let’s define what security questions are, and what their purpose is. Some organizations overthink this, and of course, some underthink it. Whichever side you are on, it is good to start from the premise that security questions in Identity Management Systems, or IdMS exist for one and only one purpose: password reset. Maybe that’s my segue to talk about what security questions are not:

• Security questions are not there for the purpose of collecting reams of personal data
• Security questions are not there to determine your job status, residency status, birth legitimacy status, or otherwise
• A means of tracking you down

Some organizations spend an enormous amount of time analyzing security questions from a risk, legal, or “should we really have that person’s personal details” perspective, as opposed to “what is the balance of security and usability that will get this person’s password reset when he or she has forgotten it for the fifth time and is consuming Helpdesk budget with constant reset calls…” Over the years, I have worked through a number of client concerns and objections to stock, or retail security questions. Here are a few of the common objections:

• That question could be used to determine a person’s residency (legal/illegal) status
• That question is “too personal”
• That question is “too general”
• That question is “too specific”
• That question is too weak or easily guessed (Think Palin)
• We are asking the person too many questions
• We are not asking the person enough questions
• We just don’t like the list of questions you gave us
• These questions could be used as a social engineering attack

My opinion? There are no absolutely perfect security questions, or groups of questions. Any question, or series of questions, can be picked apart on a number of different levels, especially legal and cultural (not to mention security.) Here are a few of my suggestions for working through the security/password reset questions exercise:

1. Ensure that security questions, also known as password reset questions, or “forgot password” questions, are consistent with the goal. If your goal is to reduce password-related Helpdesk calls by 75% for example, your question set should be consistent with that goal.
2. Consider your audience. Is your audience global and disconnected? Local and integrated? Old and young? Male and female? Are questions likely to offend, or potentially lead to misinterpretation? Remember too that part of your goal is to improve service for the end user. So don’t make him or her think too much about the questions. Questions should favor ease of recall for the user, vs. security complexity.
3. Consider your legal requirements. In some Identity Management Systems, answers to security questions may be stored in clear text within the database. Thus, asking people for their Social Security Number, or Passport Number may (and likely will) be a legal violation of one form or another.
4. Always keep in mind the balance of Security and Usability. Each is important to getting the job done.
5. When using security questions, consider providing more choices, requiring more mandatory answers, and a higher count requirement for reset requests. For example, if your IdMS presents 20 potential questions to a user during the registration process, require 8 questions to be completed. (But always encourage more.) For “forgotten password” situations, consider requiring answers for 5 questions, and lock the account after 3 failed attempts. This will address most security concerns, and make the password reset process as secure as it can be without going up to the next level (see #6)
6. Last but not least, consider something stronger than security questions. Security questions are popular because they allow for fully automated system resets, without the overhead of PKI certificates, hardware tokens, or biometric authentication. However, the question method may be inappropriate for some situations. In these instances, consider adding biometric authentication, or a hardware token. Of course, if your requirements are at that level of stringency, then you likely would not be still using passwords for authentication. But alas, that is a topic for another time

Question for discussion? What do you consider to be good security questions? Have any favorites?

Links Business Group LLC offers a full suite of Identity and Access Management solutions which leverage the infrastructure you already have, save time, save money, improve service delivery, and create happy auditors and users. Call today for an initial complimentary consultation at +1 877 769 8938.

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

Happy Monday!

This is just a very brief update, to share with you that IAM Success Tips:  Volume 2 is officially ready, but not yet posted on the new website. Unfortunately, a slew of new projects and a little post “Black Friday” glitch has temporarily postponed the fanfare and full launch.

Good news is that I do have a fresh download link for you which will take you straight to the ordering page to pick up a copy of IAM Success Tips:  Volume 2 Digital Edition. If you’d like the fanfare version, replete with full sales letter, then that version will be released later next week. 

You don’t want to wait do you? Click the “Buy Now” button below to continue your journey toward IAM Success and Happiness today.

More to follow soon. If you live in the States, then I hope you had a great holiday! And for our friends outside the States, hope you had a great weekend!

All the Best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin H. Links, Author
IAM Success Tips:  Volume 2