April 21, 2006

New benefits enhance Identity Management System

On Friday, April 21, UPMC ISD Security will launch a new and improved online Identity Management System (IMS), making it easier for staff and managers to perform administrative tasks related to computer accounts, such as authenticating identities, requesting account access, and tracking requests.

IMS collects staff members’ various computer identities in one location — https://infosec.upmc.com — to simplify monitoring and administering accounts.

The upgrade will bring new functionality and a new interface that makes it easier to find information and make requests.

Benefits to all UPMC staff include:
• Fewer passwords — IMS can synchronize one password across multiple computer accounts.
• Fewer Help Desk calls — Staff can unlock and reset passwords for their own user accounts.
• More information — Staff can review their own account privileges.

Managers have additional benefits:
• Status updates — Check on the status of recent requests.
• Track expirations — Track and renew expiring nonemployee accounts more efficiently.
• Validate accounts — Review and validate the account privileges of staff.

Designed with security as a primary goal, IMS safeguards identity information by providing a secure central repository. IMS also enables users to perform some administrative tasks themselves, reducing the number of times private information is given over the phone.

Since its introduction, IMS has helped reduce wait times for computer account requests. The volume of requests received by ISD Security over the past few years has risen from an average of 500 per month to more than 2,000. Using IMS, request completion time has decreased from a high of 11 days to just four hours.

“IMS is a tool that benefits all users,” says John Kramer, manager, Information Security. “Our goal is to provide one-stop services for all of your account and permission management needs.”

To get started using IMS, visit https://infosec.upmc.com and log in using your My HUB ID and password. For assistance, click on the Help link and then select “Getting Started With IMS.” For more information or to offer feedback, contact Mr. Kramer at kramerjb@upmc.edu or Dave Sanborn at sanborndk@upmc.edu.

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