IAM Success Story: Reducing Fraud with SSO, MFA, and Zero Trust
How an Indian Bank Achieved RBI-Compliant Identity Security
Discover how a leading Indian bank modernised its legacy access controls with a centralised IAM platform. By implementing least-privilege access, automated user lifecycle management, single sign-on (SSO), and multi-factor authentication (MFA), the bank improved security, accelerated employee onboarding, and achieved RBI cybersecurity compliance, delivering measurable operational and security ROI.
Industry
Banking & Financial Services (BFSI)
Solution
Identity & Access Management (IAM)
Focus Areas
Least Privilege, SSO, Privileged Access, MFA, User Lifecycle Automation
Key Identity & Access Challenges Facing Indian Banks
Managing millions of digital accounts helped the bank grow at scale, but it also exposed major security, compliance and operational challenges. The bank’s legacy security model could no longer keep up with modern threats, compliance demands, and workforce growth.
- •49% Surge in Fraud : Password-based authentication failed to stop phishing, credential stuffing, and account takeover attacks.
- •Regulatory & Compliance Pressures: New mandates like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023 and RBI cybersecurity guidelines required access controls that legacy systems could not support.
- •Fragmented Identity Landscape: User identities were spread across on-prem Active Directory, multiple SaaS applications, and unmanaged contractor accounts.
- •Operational Inefficiency: Manual user lifecycle management meant employee onboarding took days, creating bottlenecks as the workforce scaled.
- •Poor User Experience: Multiple logins and frequent password resets reduced productivity and increased IT support overhead.
Solution Architecture
Binary Global deployed a centralised Identity & Access Management (IAM) architecture that unified on-premises and cloud identities into a single control plane. On-prem Active Directory was integrated with cloud identity providers to enable secure single sign-on (SSO) across corporate SaaS applications.
The architecture enforced least-privilege access using role-based access control (RBAC) and introduced just-in-time (JIT) privileged access for administrators. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) was mandated for all users and elevated workflows, while identity governance controls ensured continuous access visibility, review, and compliance with RBI cybersecurity guidelines and the DPDP Act 2023.
Technical IAM Components
- Identity Provider / Identity Broker: Central authentication, SSO, and federation using SAML and OIDC
- Privileged Access Management (PAM): Secure, time-bound access for administrative sessions.
- SCIM Provisioning: Automated user lifecycle management from HR systems to IAM
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): TOTP, hardware tokens, and passwordless options where feasible
- Machine Identity & API Token Management: Secure access for service accounts and integrations
- Centralised Logging & Reporting: Real-time visibility, audit trails, and compliance reporting
Implementation Approach
Phase 1 Discovery
Identity source mapping, application inventory, stakeholder alignment, and regulatory requirement assessment.
Phase 2 Foundation
Integration of IAM with Active Directory, rollout of SSO for priority SaaS applications, and MFA enforcement for administrators.
Phase 3 Automation
SCIM-based provisioning from HR systems, automated joiner-mover-leaver workflows, and immediate access revocation on exit.
Phase 4 Governance
Deployment of PAM with JIT access, RBAC tuning, access request workflows, and periodic attestation campaigns.
Phase 5 Audit & Handover
Generation of audit evidence packs, tabletop incident simulations, operational runbooks, and transition to steady-state operations.
The Results: Impact in Banking Security
The transition from fragmented controls to a unified Identity Fabric delivered immediate ROI:
- 90% faster employee onboarding Time-to-productivity reduced from 4 days to under 4 hours through automated joiner–mover–leaver workflows.
- 40% fewer help-desk password resets SSO and MFA significantly reduced identity-related IT tickets.
- 40% reduction in digital fraud AI-driven authentication blocked unauthorised access attempts in real time.40% reduction in digital fraud AI-driven authentication blocked unauthorised access attempts in real time.
- 80% drop in privileged account misuse Just-in-time access and stronger controls eliminated standing admin privileges.
- 98% MFA adoption Near-universal MFA coverage across active corporate users. 100% alignment with the DPDP Act
- 100% alignment with the DPDP Act Shifted from manual reporting to an automated, always-on compliance posture. Why Binary Global
Why Binary Global
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•Enterprise IAM Secure, compliant IAM for regulated industries
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•RBI & DPDP Compliant Security aligned to regulatory mandates
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•Fast Deployment SSO, MFA, and automation delivered in weeks
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•Low User FrictionStrong security without productivity loss
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•Proven Outcomes Reduced fraud, faster onboarding, audit readiness
“Centralising IAM helped us reduce fraud, onboard people much faster, and stay audit-ready, without making access harder for our users.” CISO, Leading Indian Private Bank"
Client Testimonial
SVP-IT