Most identity investments outpace the programs built around them.
The program architecture around those platforms is rarely built to match: defined policies, documented ownership, enforced controls, and audit-ready evidence.
Cicerra assesses where your identity program actually stands, identifies the gaps creating compliance and security exposure, and provides the architecture and governance guidance your team needs to close them.
Identity Program Recovery
"The IAM environment works, but nobody really owns it. Authentication keeps breaking. Access has accumulated. Privileged accounts aren't governed. Different systems don't agree with each other."
Most identity programs are in that state, technically functioning but ungoverned underneath. Cicerra identifies what is actually wrong, clarifies where ownership should sit, and provides the architecture and governance guidance your team needs to close the gap and run the program independently.
That is a materially different engagement than "we provide cybersecurity solutions." It requires architecture depth and governance depth in the same person, which is why most consultancies aren't built to deliver it.
- No single owner for identity
- Authentication breaks without warning
- Access accumulates, unreviewed
- Privileged accounts ungoverned
- Systems disagree on who has access
- Ownership assigned and documented
- Federation architecture stable, monitored
- Access reviewed on a set schedule
- Privileged accounts governed with JIT and rotation
- One record of truth for access
Five Specialties
Each is sold as its own defined capability. Engagements are scoped and priced before work begins.
Identity Security Assessments
Independent current-state review of IAM, Entra, PAM, and IGA. Gaps, risk, and a prioritized set of findings and recommendations.
Identity Architecture Advisory
Independent guidance on Entra ID, Active Directory, SailPoint/Saviynt, lifecycle, RBAC, and cloud identity architecture.
Access Governance Advisory
Access policy, lifecycle process design guidance, certification and review procedures, and governance documentation.
Privileged & Non-Human Identity Advisory
CyberArk, BeyondTrust, One Identity, PIM/JIT design guidance, secrets management, and non-human identity governance.
Authentication & Trust Advisory
Independent review of SAML, OIDC, and OAuth federation architecture, certificates, claims, and trust design.
Know exactly where the program stands
A comprehensive evaluation of your identity environment from authentication through access governance. We document the current state, assess it against your applicable compliance framework, and deliver a clear, prioritized path forward.
Schedule a Consultation →- Current-state documentation of deployed identity platforms and enforced controls
- Authentication architecture review including MFA, SSO, and access policy enforcement
- Privileged access program maturity across human and non-human accounts
- Identity lifecycle process review covering provisioning, role changes, and terminations
- Access governance assessment including reviews, certifications, and ownership accountability
- Non-employee and third-party identity exposure analysis
- Gap analysis mapped to NIST 800-53, CIS Controls, Zero Trust principles, or applicable framework
- Risk-prioritized roadmap of findings and recommendations, phased and actionable
Written assessment report, gap analysis, and a prioritized roadmap of findings and recommendations your team can act on independently.
A clear path to a coherent architecture
Where an assessment finds structural problems, this is where the fix gets designed. Cicerra evaluates Entra ID, Active Directory, SailPoint/Saviynt, lifecycle processes, RBAC, and cloud identity, and provides an independent architecture and migration plan your team or implementation partner can carry out.
Discuss Your Environment →- Entra ID and hybrid Active Directory architecture evaluation and design guidance
- Identity governance platform architecture guidance (SailPoint, Saviynt) and lifecycle design
- Joiner-mover-leaver process design guidance and provisioning recommendations
- RBAC and entitlement model design guidance built on least privilege
- Conditional Access policy guidance and estate-wide review
- Cloud identity architecture guidance across AWS, Azure, and GCP
An independent architecture plan and phased migration roadmap your team or implementation partner can execute.
Guidance on the accounts that matter most
Privileged access is where ungoverned identity programs carry the most risk, both in human admin accounts and in the non-human accounts most programs never inventory. Cicerra evaluates the current state and provides independent guidance on standing-privilege reduction, JIT workflows, and secrets governance for your team to implement.
Discuss Your Environment →- CyberArk, BeyondTrust, and One Identity implementation review and guidance
- Just-in-time access and standing-privilege reduction strategy
- Secrets and service-account governance guidance, including non-human identity
- Privileged session governance guidance, rotation policy recommendations, and administrative tiering design
- Break-glass procedure guidance and emergency access design recommendations
Independent guidance on a privileged access operating model covering human and non-human accounts, with recommended ownership and rotation practices.
Diagnose what keeps breaking
SAML trust failures, authentication loops, certificate expirations, and provisioning outages are usually symptoms of an architecture no one fully owns. Cicerra diagnoses the root cause and provides an independent architecture recommendation so your team can resolve it and prevent recurrence.
Discuss Your Environment →- SAML, OIDC, and OAuth2 federation troubleshooting and architecture review
- Ping, Auth0, ADFS, and Entra federation design guidance and migration planning
- Certificate lifecycle review and management guidance across applications and domains
- Claims and token configuration review
- Redirect-loop and authentication-outage root-cause diagnosis
An independent root-cause diagnosis, architecture recommendation, and certificate lifecycle guidance to prevent recurrence.
Guidance for the governance layer most programs skip
Most identity programs are missing the governance layer entirely: access policy, review cadence, certification procedures, and control ownership. Cicerra provides independent guidance to design that layer, documented in the language auditors expect and structured for your team to own and maintain.
Discuss Your Environment →- Access policy design guidance with defined enforcement standards and exception handling
- Access review and certification procedure design, with recommended ownership, frequency, and evidence requirements
- Segregation of duties guidance and role design recommendations
- Identity control ownership matrix guidance, mapping controls to accountable teams
- Audit-ready governance documentation guidance aligned to your applicable compliance framework
- IAM program roadmap guidance and initiative prioritization recommendations
Independent governance documentation guidance, built for audit presentation and long-term ownership by your team.
Four Ways to Engage
The five specialties above are delivered through one of four engagement models, matched to what you need right now.
Assessment
An independent evaluation of the current state. Findings, architecture review, and a prioritized set of recommendations, delivered as a written report. Fixed price and fixed scope, agreed before work begins.
Architecture Advisory
Independent architecture guidance for a defined initiative: design review, migration planning, and phased recommendations your team or implementation partner carries out. Fixed price, agreed in writing before work starts.
Independent Review
A vendor-neutral second opinion on an existing architecture, a vendor selection, or a plan someone else has proposed. Useful before a large purchase or a board-level decision.
Technical Guidance
Recurring access to principal-level guidance: architecture questions, Zero Trust strategy, vendor evaluation, audit preparation, and knowledge transfer for your team. Scope and cadence set collaboratively.
Straightforward from First Call to Close
Scope, timeline, and fee are agreed in writing before any work begins. No open-ended billing on project engagements.
Start with a conversation.
Start with a 30-minute call. We will determine whether there is a fit and follow up with next steps.
Let's Talk About Your Identity Program
Tell us about your environment and what you are looking to address. Cicerra will respond directly to schedule a conversation.
- Every conversation is with the principal architect
- Scope and fee in writing before any commitment
- Independent guidance only; no implementation staffing
- No pitch deck, no automated follow-up