Sarbanes Oxley is forcing users to think seriously about deploying identity management technologies, says Jeff Clarke, Computer Associates International Inc. (CA)'s (NYSE: CA) chief operating officer.
During his keynote at the C3 Expo conference in New York today, Clarke highlighted the growing need to control who gets access to what in corporate networks. Sarbanes Oxley is driving the identity management market, because the Act requires management to know who is accessing their systems, he said.
In addition to worrying more about identity management, the new regulations have users approaching their entire business with a much more critical eye, according to Clarke. SOX requires you to document and test your processes."
Clarke, who has overseen CAs own compliance effort, admitted that SOX is a headache of Olympian proportions, although he also highlighted the long-term benefits of compliance. There are major payoffs to be gained." One major benefit is confidence, at management, board, and investor level, he added.
Clarke has experienced this first-hand. Though he did not refer to the financial scandal that rocked CA last year, the company has been working to tighten up its own business processes over recent months (see CA Changes Shape, CA's Mea Culpa, and What's in a Name?).