Self-learning peer group analysis for optimizing identity and access management environments

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for identifying risky user entitlements in an identity and access management (IAM) computing system. A self-learning peer group analysis (SLPGA) engine receives an IAM data set which specifies user attributes of users of computing resources and entitlements allocated to the users for accessing the computing resources. The SLPGA engine generates a user-entitlement matrix, performs a machine learning matrix decomposition operation on the user-entitlement matrix to identify excessive entitlement allocations, and performs a conditional entropy analysis of the user attributes and entitlements in the IAM data set to identify a set of user attributes for defining peer groups. The SLPGA engine performs a commonality analysis of user attributes and entitlements for each of one or more peer groups defined based on the set of user attributes, and identifies outlier entitlements based on the identification of the excessive entitlement allocations and results of the commonality analysis.