Secure, Compliant, and Trusted Access Across Your Institution
As a CISO, you’re tasked with protecting research, data, and people. InCommon delivers a proven trust framework — built on federation metadata, Baseline Expectations, and certificate services — that balances compliance with seamless collaboration. Through the InCommon community, you gain peer insights and tested approaches to strengthen security across higher education.
How InCommon Helps CISOs Protect Research & Data
- Security-first federation services
- Compliance-ready frameworks and governance
- Community-driven threat and risk insights
- Shared standards that reduce vulnerabilities
- Proven practices from peer institutions
Safeguard Research, Data, and Reputation with InCommon
InCommon helps CISOs strengthen security while enabling collaboration. With federation services, certificate management, and community-governed policies, you gain practical tools to protect sensitive data, support compliance, and reduce risk across research and education institutions.
Security-First IAM Solutions
Identity and access services designed to protect institutional users and assets.
Compliance & Governance Support
Frameworks and peer-driven practices that simplify meeting regulatory requirements.
Risk & Threat Mitigation
Shared community insights and proven approaches for addressing emerging security challenges.
Security-First IAM
Protect institutional users, research, and sensitive data with federation services.
Compliance Confidence
Simplify meeting regulatory requirements with community-governed frameworks.
Risk Reduction
Minimize threats through community-tested practices.
Incident Readiness
Access shared knowledge to respond quickly to evolving risks.
Governance Support
Strengthen institutional policies with InCommon’s Baseline Expectations.
Trusted Peer Network
Learn from security leaders across the InCommon community.
Featured Resources
The Best IAM Advice Ever: The 2024 Edition
Throughout 2024, we asked members of the InCommon community to share the best identity and access management (IAM) advice they had ever received and from whom. Here are five pieces of the best IAM advice ever. 1. “Slow and steady wins the race.” (Marta Lang, University of Texas at Austin) 2. “The best IAM advice I’ve received came from Lev Gonick, enterprise chief information officer at ASU. Instead of always being on the defensive, he says think offensively. Stay proactive and lead rather than simply reacting to threats. This mindset shift has been instrumental in shaping my approach to cybersecurity and digital trust. By adopting a proactive stance, we can empower ourselves and our organizations to be one step ahead, setting the tone for a secure and trusted digital environment.” (Dr. Donna Kidwell, University of Toronto) 3. “Go to TechEX and make friends.” (Andy Morgan and Jason Peak, Oregon State University) From left to right: Marta Lang, Grady Bailey, Donna Kidwell, Andy Morgan, and Jason Peak 4. “Identity is the new perimeter! All the firewalls and hardware/software solutions can be thwarted if someone has the credentials to get through.” (Heidi Thompson, Grinnell College) 5. “It actually comes from the show “Parks and Recreation” and Nick Offerman’s character Ron Swanson: “You choose a thankless job, you can’t be upset when nobody thanks you.” I always find that relevant to IAM (and most IT roles in general) because we do things that people see and experience every day, but they will hardly ever consider the people behind the scenes making it all work—unless something goes wrong!” (Grady Bailey, Internet2) Get More Great IAM Advice Join us for IAM Online, our monthly webinar series. To register for upcoming webinars, visit our IAM Online webpage, where the latest webinar will be posted at the top with a registration link. Previous webinar recordings and resources are still available in our IAM Online Rewind section or on our YouTube channel.
IAM Modernization Is What You Make It: 6 Ways to Get Started
By The InCommon Academy Team On June 25, 2025, the InCommon Academy hosted a Thread Meetup about IAM Modernization for 50+ community members. The key themes that emerged from this discussion illustrated that while the technical aspects of IAM are complex, many of the most significant challenges are organizational, resource-related, and process-oriented. The golden thread, or central insight, of the discussion was that “modernization is what you make it” and reflects the reality that successful IAM modernization isn’t about implementing a checklist of buzzword technologies, but rather about understanding your institution’s specific context, building mature foundational practices, and making incremental progress toward a clearly defined vision. The discussion particularly highlighted the tension between aspirational “modern” IAM concepts and the practical realities of resource constraints, legacy systems, and complex organizational needs that characterize higher education institutions. It will take significant time and effort to move your IAM modernization efforts forward. Take it in strategic, incremental steps. Here are 6 ways you can get started. 1 – Connect with your peers. Contribute to community knowledge by sharing what works and what doesn’t. Share templates and frameworks, participate in working groups, and help shape future InCommon programming and resources. 2 – Assess your current state. Document your “Ocean Elephant” by writing down your specific modernization challenges and overwhelming factors. As discussed in the meeting, catalog what you’re working with and identify your oldest and newest systems. 3 – Improve internal communication. Educate your leadership that IAM is an essential security function, identify who else on campus needs to be involved in IAM decisions, and create a communication plan to establish regular touchpoints with key stakeholders. 4 – Document what you have. Create a basic architecture diagram and map your current IAM component and data flows. Start an identity data dictionary to document what makes up an identity at your institution. 5 – Address knowledge management. Document institutional knowledge by capturing processes and decisions before people leave. Create process documentation and establish change management processes for updating documentation and procedures. 6 – Plan your modernization strategy. Focus on areas where you can make progress with available resources. Look at what peer institutions have implemented successfully, and make informed decisions about tools and platforms based on your specific needs and constraints. Join Us for the Next Thread Meetup Participate in the next Thread Meetup on August 6, 2025 when we’ll discuss Navigating Hybrid IAM & Entra ID Integration. Ready to untangle the complexities of integrating Entra ID into your existing identity landscape? Connect with fellow IAM practitioners in an open discussion about real-world experiences transitioning from legacy on-premises systems while maintaining hybrid operations. Share challenges, swap strategies, and explore together how to successfully weave Entra ID into complex institutional environments, unify multiple SSO solutions, and balance cloud scalability with legacy dependencies. This collaborative discussion brings together your diverse perspectives on integration hurdles licensing considerations, stakeholder management, and change preparation. Whether you’re exploring an Entra ID implementation or refining existing hybrid environments, join the conversation with peers navigating similar transformations. Mark your calendars now and join the discussion: When: August 6 @ 3-4 p.m. ET Where: Zoom To help facilitate open discussion, all attendees will need to RSVP. Additionally, please note this session will be recorded and shared. Have questions or ideas for this discussion? Let us know! Contact Jody Tracy. About InCommon Academy Thread Meetups Unravel complexities. Stitch in what matters. Together. Join fellow IAM professionals in our focused, community-driven discussions designed to spark meaningful dialogue on the topics that matter most to you. Thread Meetups are offered as the need arises. No matter the topic of the day, you’ll join a collaborative dialogue with peers who share your professional interests and experience. Thread Meetups are a space to talk through what’s timely and relevant — whether you’re wrestling with implementation challenges, exploring emerging trends, or seeking new perspectives. These meetups provide just the right environment where you can walk away with a new idea, a connection, or a clearer path forward.
Explore Learning Opportunities
Strengthen your security posture with InCommon’s community-driven training. From compliance workshops to governance briefings, CISOs gain knowledge and peer insights to protect research, data, and institutional reputation.
Share Your Expertise
Help shape community approaches to identity security. Share your experience in compliance, governance, and threat response through InCommon forums to advance security across higher education.