Performing Access Recertification With Saviynt

---
name: performing-access-recertification-with-saviynt
description: Use when configure and execute access recertification campaigns in Saviynt
  Enterprise Identity Cloud to validate user entitlements, revoke excessive access,
  and maintain compliance with SOX, SOC2, and HIPAA. Use when configureing and execute
  access recertification campaigns in saviynt enterprise identity.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: identity-access-management
tags:
- saviynt
- access-recertification
- identity-governance
- compliance
- certification-campaign
- iga
version: '1.0'
author: oyi77
license: Apache-2.0
nist_csf:
- PR.AA-01
- PR.AA-02
- PR.AA-05
- PR.AA-06
category: cybersecurity
---


# Performing Access Recertification with Saviynt

## Overview

Access recertification (also called access certification or access review) is a periodic process where designated reviewers validate that users have appropriate access to systems and data. Saviynt Enterprise Identity Cloud (EIC) automates this process through certification campaigns that present reviewers with current access assignments and collect approve/revoke/conditionally-certify decisions. Campaigns can be triggered on schedule (quarterly, semi-annually), event-driven (department transfer, role change), or on-demand. Saviynt provides intelligence features including risk scoring, usage analytics, and peer-group analysis to help reviewers make informed decisions.


## When to Use

**Trigger phrases:**
- "performing access recertification with saviynt"
- "When conducting security assessments that involve performing access recertificat"
- "When following incident response procedures for related security events"
- "When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities"


- When conducting security assessments that involve performing access recertification with saviynt
- When following incident response procedures for related security events
- When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities
- When validating security controls through hands-on testing

## Prerequisites

- Saviynt Enterprise Identity Cloud (EIC) tenant with admin access
- Identity data synchronized from authoritative sources (HR, AD, cloud)
- Entitlement data imported from target applications
- Certifier roles assigned (managers, application owners, data owners)
- Campaign templates defined for each certification type

## Core Concepts

This section covers core concepts for performing access recertification with saviynt.

- Ensure all prerequisites are met before proceeding
- Follow the documented workflow steps in sequence
- Record results and any anomalies encountered during this phase
### Campaign Types

| Type | Scope | Trigger | Certifier |
|------|-------|---------|-----------|
| User Manager | All access for users under a manager | Scheduled (quarterly) | Direct manager |
| Entitlement Owner | All users with a specific entitlement | Scheduled (semi-annually) | Entitlement/app owner |
| Application | All access to a specific application | Scheduled | Application owner |
| Role-Based | All users assigned to a specific role | Scheduled | Role owner |
| Event-Based | Users whose attributes changed | Attribute change trigger | New manager |
| Micro-Certification | Single user, single entitlement | On-demand | Manager or owner |

### Certification Decisions

| Decision | Effect | Use Case |
|----------|--------|----------|
| Certify (Approve) | Access maintained | Access is still required |
| Revoke | Access removal ticket created | Access no longer needed |
| Conditionally Certify | Access maintained with conditions | Access needed temporarily, review again |
| Delegate | Reassign to another certifier | Certifier lacks knowledge to decide |
| Abstain | No decision recorded | Conflict of interest |

### Campaign Lifecycle

```
CONFIGURATION → PREVIEW → ACTIVE → IN PROGRESS → COMPLETED → REMEDIATION
       │            │         │          │             │            │
       │            │         │          │             │            └── Revoke tickets
       │            │         │          │             │                executed
       │            │         │          │             │
       │            │         │          │             └── All decisions
       │            │         │          │                 collected
       │            │         │          │
       │            │         │          └── Certifiers reviewing
       │            │         │              and making decisions
       │            │         │
       │            │         └── Campaign launched,
       │            │             notifications sent
       │            │
       │            └── Read-only preview for validation
       │
       └── Campaign parameters defined
```

## Workflow

1. **Inventory cloud assets** — enumerate services, roles, and configurations in scope
2. **Assess configurations** — check against security best practices and CIS benchmarks
3. **Test access controls** — verify IAM policies, network ACLs, and security group rules
4. **Validate logging** — ensure audit trails are enabled and properly retained
5. **Document and remediate** — report findings with specific configuration changes needed
### Step 1: Configure Campaign Template

In Saviynt Admin Console:

1. Navigate to **Certifications > Campaign > Create New Campaign**
2. Define campaign parameters:

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Campaign Name | Q1 2025 Manager Access Review |
| Campaign Type | User Manager |
| Description | Quarterly review of all user access |
| Certifier Type | Manager (dynamic - user's direct manager) |
| Secondary Certifier | Application Owner (fallback if manager unavailable) |
| Due Date | 14 days from launch |
| Reminder Schedule | Day 7, Day 10, Day 13 |
| Escalation | Auto-revoke on Day 15 if no decision |

3. Configure scope filters:
   - Include: All active users
   - Exclude: Service accounts, break-glass accounts
   - Application filter: All connected applications

4. Configure intelligence features:
   - Enable risk scoring (high-risk entitlements highlighted)
   - Enable usage data (last access date shown)
   - Enable peer analysis (compare access to peer group)
   - Enable SoD violation flagging

### Step 2: Configure Certifier Experience

Customize what certifiers see during the review:

**Columns Displayed:**
- User name and title
- Application name
- Entitlement/role name
- Risk score (1-10)
- Last access date
- Peer group comparison (% of peers with same access)
- SoD violation flag

**Decision Options:**
- Certify with justification (free text)
- Revoke with reason (dropdown: no longer needed, SoD conflict, role change)
- Conditionally certify with expiry date

**Bulk Actions:**
- Certify all low-risk items
- Revoke all items not accessed in 90+ days
- Filter by application, risk level, or SoD status

### Step 3: Launch Campaign via API

```python
import requests

SAVIYNT_URL = "https://tenant.saviyntcloud.com"
SAVIYNT_TOKEN = "your-api-token"

def create_certification_campaign(campaign_config):
    """Create and launch a Saviynt certification campaign."""
    headers = {
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {SAVIYNT_TOKEN}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }

    # Create campaign
    response = requests.post(
        f"{SAVIYNT_URL}/ECM/api/v5/createCampaign",
        headers=headers,
        json={
            "campaignname": campaign_config["name"],
            "campaigntype": campaign_config["type"],
            "description": campaign_config["description"],
            "certifier": campaign_config["certifier_type"],
            "duedate": campaign_config["due_date"],
            "reminderdays": campaign_config["reminder_days"],
            "autorevoke": campaign_config.get("auto_revoke", True),
            "autorevokedays": campaign_config.get("auto_revoke_days", 15),
            "scope": campaign_config.get("scope", {}),
        }
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    campaign_id = response.json().get("campaignId")

    # Launch campaign
    launch_response = requests.post(
        f"{SAVIYNT_URL}/ECM/api/v5/launchCampaign",
        headers=headers,
        json={"campaignId": campaign_id}
    )
    launch_response.raise_for_status()

    return {
        "campaign_id": campaign_id,
        "status": "launched",
        "certifications_created": launch_response.json().get("certificationCount", 0)
    }

def get_campaign_status(campaign_id):
    """Get current status and progress of a campaign."""
    headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {SAVIYNT_TOKEN}"}
    response = requests.get(
        f"{SAVIYNT_URL}/ECM/api/v5/getCampaignDetails",
        headers=headers,
        params={"campaignId": campaign_id}
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    data = response.json()

    return {
        "campaign_id": campaign_id,
        "status": data.get("status"),
        "total_items": data.get("totalLineItems", 0),
        "certified": data.get("certifiedCount", 0),
        "revoked": data.get("revokedCount", 0),
        "pending": data.get("pendingCount", 0),
        "completion_rate": data.get("completionPercentage", 0),
    }
```

### Step 4: Monitor Campaign Progress

Track certification progress and send escalations:

- **Dashboard**: Saviynt provides real-time campaign dashboard with completion rates
- **Reminders**: Automatic email reminders at configured intervals
- **Escalation**: If certifier does not respond by due date, escalate to manager's manager or auto-revoke
- **Delegation**: Allow certifiers to delegate specific items to application owners

### Step 5: Execute Remediation

After campaign closes:

1. **Auto-Remediation**: Saviynt automatically creates provisioning tasks to revoke denied access
2. **Ticket Integration**: Revocation tasks create tickets in ServiceNow/Jira for tracking
3. **Grace Period**: Configure a grace period (e.g., 5 business days) before access is actually removed
4. **Verification**: After revocation, verify access is removed from target systems
5. **Audit Trail**: All decisions, revocations, and remediations logged for compliance evidence

## Validation Checklist

- [ ] Campaign templates configured for each certification type
- [ ] Certifier roles assigned (managers, app owners, data owners)
- [ ] Risk scoring and usage analytics enabled
- [ ] SoD violation detection configured
- [ ] Reminder and escalation schedules defined
- [ ] Auto-revoke policy for non-responsive certifiers configured
- [ ] Campaign launched and certifiers notified
- [ ] Campaign completion rate > 95% before close
- [ ] Revocation tasks created for all denied entitlements
- [ ] Remediation completed within SLA
- [ ] Campaign report generated for compliance audit
- [ ] Evidence archived for regulatory retention period

## When NOT to Use

- You don't have explicit written authorization to test
- Task is about defense/detection, not offense (use detection skills)
- You need to implement security controls (use implementing-* skills)
- Task requires compliance auditing (use auditing-* skills)
- You're investigating an incident (use incident response skills)
- Target is out of scope for your engagement
- Task is about vulnerability scanning only (use scanning tools)


## Red Flags

- Performing actions without explicit written authorization from the asset owner
- Testing against production systems without a defined scope and rules of engagement
- Modifying cloud IAM policies or security groups without approval
- Exposing cloud credentials or secrets in logs or reports
- Running scans that generate excessive API calls and trigger billing alerts

## Verification

- All steps executed successfully against a test environment before production use
- Output documented with screenshots or logs demonstrating expected behavior
- Cloud resource changes reverted or documented as intentional
- IAM policies reviewed for least-privilege compliance after testing
- No residual test resources left running (cost and security check)

## References

- [Saviynt Campaigns and Certifications Documentation](https://docs.saviyntcloud.com/bundle/EIC-Admin-25/page/Content/Chapter15-Campaigns-and-Certifications/Campaigns.htm)
- [Saviynt Simplifying Certifications with Intelligence](https://saviynt.com/blog/simplifying-certifications-with-intelligence)
- [Saviynt Advanced Access Reviews](https://oxfordcomputergroup.com/resources/saviynt-advanced-access-reviews/)
- [ISACA Access Recertification Best Practices](https://www.isaca.org/)

## Process

1. Analyze the task requirements
2. Apply domain expertise
3. Verify output quality

## Anti-Rationalization Table

| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|---|
| "We are too small to be targeted" | Automated attacks target everyone. Size does not matter. |
| "Security slows us down" | A breach slows you down 100x more. Build security in from the start. |
| "We will fix it after launch" | Vulnerabilities in production are exploited within hours. Fix before deploy. |