For a lot of organizations, id safety seems to be beneath management. On paper, every little thing checks out. However new analysis from Cerby, primarily based on insights from over 500 IT and safety leaders, reveals a unique actuality: an excessive amount of nonetheless is determined by individuals—not programs—to operate. In actual fact, fewer than 4% of safety groups have absolutely automated their core id workflows.
Core workflows, like enrolling in Multi Issue Authentication (MFA), maintaining credentials safe and updated, and revoking entry the second somebody leaves—are sometimes handbook, inconsistent, and weak to error. And when safety execution depends on reminiscence or follow-up, gaps seem quick.
Human error stays one of many largest threats to enterprise safety. Verizon’s 2025 Knowledge Breach report discovered that the human ingredient was concerned in 60% of breaches. The identical handbook missteps that led to breaches a decade in the past nonetheless expose id programs at present. Cerby’s 2025 Id Automation Hole analysis report exhibits simply how widespread the problem is—and the way far automation nonetheless has to go.
The final mile nonetheless runs on human error
The information reveals a persistent reliance on human motion for duties that must be automated throughout the id safety lifecycle.
- 41% of finish customers nonetheless share or replace passwords manually, utilizing insecure strategies like spreadsheets, emails, or chat instruments. They’re hardly ever up to date or monitored, rising the chance of credential misuse or compromise.
- Practically 89% of organizations depend on customers to manually allow MFA in functions, regardless of MFA being one of the vital efficient safety controls. With out enforcement, safety turns into non-compulsory, and attackers know learn how to exploit that inconsistency.
- 59% of IT groups deal with person provisioning and deprovisioning manually, counting on ticketing programs or casual follow-ups to grant and take away entry. These workflows are gradual, inconsistent, and simple to miss—leaving organizations uncovered to unauthorized entry and compliance failures.
Organizations cannot afford to attend
The results are not hypothetical.
In keeping with the Ponemon Institute, 52% of enterprises have skilled a safety breach attributable to handbook id work in disconnected functions. Most of them had 4 or extra. The downstream affect was tangible: 43% reported buyer loss, and 36% misplaced companions.
These failures are predictable and preventable, however provided that organizations cease counting on people to hold out what must be automated. Id is not a background system. It is one of many major management planes in enterprise safety. As assault surfaces increase and risk actors grow to be extra subtle, the automation hole turns into tougher—and riskier—to disregard.
Why the automation hole persists
Why do these handbook gaps nonetheless exist if automation is so vital to id safety? They’ve emerged as a byproduct of fast progress, software sprawl, and fragmented infrastructure.
- Disconnected functions are all over the place, they usually do not help the frequent id requirements required for integration into current suppliers. A majority of enterprise functions fall into this class, and that quantity continues to develop. They span each enterprise operate and are full of delicate knowledge.
- IT & safety groups assume instruments = protection. Environments at present stretch throughout SaaS, cell, cloud, and on-prem programs. Shadow IT continues to develop quicker than anybody can monitor, as every enterprise unit brings its personal stack. Attaining full management throughout all functions stays extremely elusive.
- Stopgap options do not scale. Password managers, handbook scripts, and different vaulting instruments are troublesome to keep up and infrequently create fragmented infrastructure. When integrations do not exist, they’re steadily patched collectively—however these fixes are expensive to construct and fragile to maintain. What begins as a workaround shortly turns into an ongoing operational burden.
Closing the automation hole
The excellent news: closing the automation hole would not require rebuilding or changing your id stack. It means finishing it.
Ahead-thinking organizations are bringing automation to each nook of their software ecosystem with out ready for native integrations. Some groups are additionally exploring AI brokers to assist shut this hole. However belief continues to be evolving: 78% of safety leaders say they do not belief AI to totally automate core id duties—but 45% help a collaborative human-in-the-loop mannequin.
Cerby supplies organizations with the pliability to help each approaches—assembly groups the place they’re and delivering automation the place it is wanted most.
Cerby’s analysis report, The 2025 Id Automation Hole, contains findings from 500+ IT and safety leaders and sensible steps for closing one of the vital neglected dangers in enterprise safety.
Obtain the total report or schedule a 15-minute demo to see how Cerby brings automation throughout your complete id floor.
