An innovative approach to discovering, analyzing, and managing identity usage that goes beyond traditional IAM controls.
Challenge: Identity exists outside the identity stack
Identity and access management tools were built to manage users and directories.
Modern businesses run on applications. Over time, identity logic has moved into application code, APIs, service accounts, and custom authentication layers. Embedded credentials. Authorization is applied locally. Usage patterns are subject to change without review.
These identity paths often operate outside of the visibility of IAM, PAM, and IGA.
For security and identity teams, this creates blind spots, or something called identity dark matter.
This dark matter causes identity risks that cannot be directly observed.
Why traditional approaches are not enough
Most identity tools rely on configuration data and policy models.
This works for managed users.
It will not work if:
Custom-built applications Traditional authentication logic Embedded credentials and secrets Non-human identities Access paths that bypass identity providers
As a result, teams must rebuild identity behavior during audits or incident response.
This approach is not scalable. Learn how to uncover this invisible layer of identity.
Orchid’s approach: discover, analyze, adjust, audit
Orchid Security addresses this gap by providing continuous identity monitoring capabilities across applications. The platform follows a four-tier operating model that aligns with the way security teams work.
Discover: Identify identity usage within your application
Orchid starts by discovering your application and its identity implementation.
Lightweight instrumentation directly analyzes your application to identify authentication methods, authorization logic, and credential usage.
This discovery includes both managed and unmanaged environments.
The team obtains accurate inventory of:
Applications and services Identity types in use Authentication flows Embedded credentials
This establishes a baseline for identity activity across your environment.
Analytics: Assess identity risk based on observed behavior
Once discovery is complete, Orchid analyzes the usage of the ID in the context.
The platform connects identities, applications, and access paths to surface risk indicators such as:
Shared or hard-coded credentials Orphaned service accounts IAM external privileged access paths Differences between intended and actual access
Analysis is based on observed behavior rather than expected policies.
This allows the team to focus on the identity risks currently in use.
Orchestration: Act on background check results
Once the analysis is complete, Orchid allows your team to take action.
The platform integrates with your existing IAM, PAM, and security workflows to support remediation efforts.
Teams can:
Prioritize identity risks by impact Forward findings to appropriate control owners Track remediation progress over time
Orchid does not replace existing controls. Adjust them using accurate identity context.
Audit: Maintain continuous evidence of identity management
Discovery and analysis occur continuously, so audit data is always available.
Security and GRC teams have access to:
Current application inventory ID Evidence of usage Documentation of control gaps and remediation actions
This reduces reliance on manual evidence collection and point-in-time reviews.
Auditing becomes a continuous process rather than a periodic scramble.
Practical results for security teams
Organizations using Orchid can benefit from:
Increased visibility into application-level identity usage Reduced risk from unmanaged access paths Accelerated audit preparation Clear accountability for identity risks
Most importantly, your team can make decisions based on validated data rather than assumptions. Learn more about how Orchid unravels identity dark matter.
A final word
As identity continues to move beyond centralized directories, security teams need new ways to understand and manage access.
Orchid Security provides continuous identity monitoring across applications, enabling organizations to discover identity usage, analyze risk, coordinate remediation, and maintain audit-ready evidence.
This approach aligns identity security with how modern enterprise environments actually operate.
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