In this interview, Micha De Gier of ING Bank explains that a proactive identity management strategy starts with fully knowing and validating all identities including, the workforce, customers, machines, and robotic accounts. He identifies impersonation as today’s biggest threat for both customers and internal systems. ING has streamlined customer onboarding but is working toward a unified identity model that can support all services across its international entities.
De Gier notes that while modern authentication integrates easily into customer-facing systems, legacy back-end environments remain difficult, requiring new integration layers and secure gateways. He emphasises that the greatest vulnerability lies in unmanaged or unknown identities. To address challenges such as excessive privileges and regulatory pressure, ING classifies identities and applications to control access tightly and ensure privileged actions remain monitored. Through close collaboration with the global CISO organisation, ING stays ahead of emerging identity-related threats and continuously strengthens its IAM capabilities.
