CASE STUDY

Baylor University

With rising cybersecurity threats and strict federal compliance mandates, Baylor University turned to Fischer Identity to modernize its Identity & Access Management. Recognizing identity as the foundation of security, Baylor implemented Fischer’s configurable IAM platform to manage diverse user populations, improve security, and ensure scalability of their IAM program through automation.

Identity at the Core: Strengthening Higher Ed Security from Within

Many higher-education leaders recognize the rising stakes of cybersecurity. Attackers frequently target higher-education institutions because these institutions serve so many personas, including faculty, students, staff, and guests — and because these institutions capture so much data across these personas. Government bodies have recognized this threat too: Title IV funding requires colleges to implement a range of cybersecurity measures, and due to a 2018 policy mandate, every single data breach must be reported to the U.S. Department of Education. However, the higher education sector remains a popular target, and the costs of data breaches continue to rise. IBM research shows that the average data breach at a higher-education institution in 2023 costs $4.5 million — an increase of 15.3 percent from 2020. According to Jon Allen, Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, a potentially pivotal change is sweeping through many technical leaders: A reconsideration of identity and its centrality in cybersecurity. Allen says identity was not a hot topic in higher education a decade ago.

But higher education leaders increasingly recognize that “Identity is really the matrix interconnecting it all.” People touch an institution’s identity system whenever a prospective student applies, a faculty member is hired, or a visiting researcher needs a guest account. They make contact frequently as they create accounts, reset passwords, and request access to a website, file, or application. And every time a student graduates or a professor departs, the identity system must take all that access back. That’s why Allen partnered with Fischer Identity, a leading provider of Identity & Access Management (IAM) solutions, to build an identity system that could manage all the personas Baylor served and, in the process, provide a system that could scale as Baylor grows. In addition, the Fischer suite of products is based on ease-of-use configuration rather than complicated custom code development to enable long-term sustainability.

“We’ve been able to achieve our security and IAM-related goals and SLAs, plus accelerate the introduction of new services to our constituents due to the operational efficiencies afforded by Fischer. Collaborating with Fischer Identity was an opportunity to work with an industry leader who understands the higher education enterprise and helped us realize our goals rapidly and effectively.” — Jon Allen, CIO & CISO at Baylor University

Read the comprehensive Baylor University case study, developed in collaboration with The Chronicle of Higher Education, AWS, and Fischer Identity.

About Baylor University

Baylor University, a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Baylor is committed to the highest values and overall institutional experience for the faculty, staff and student population.

More Success Stories

Baylor University

With rising cybersecurity threats and strict federal compliance mandates, Baylor University turned to Fischer Identity to modernize its Identity & Access Management. Recognizing identity as the foundation of security, Baylor implemented Fischer’s configurable IAM platform to manage diverse user populations, improve security, and ensure scalability of their IAM program through automation.

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Shenandoah University

Shenandoah University modernized its Identity and Access Management by replacing a fragmented, script-based system with a centralized, secure solution from Fischer Identity. By integrating with their ERP and streamlining account provisioning, the university drastically reduced onboarding delays, strengthened security, and improved operational efficiency. This transformation empowered Shenandoah to better serve its academic community and scale confidently in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

Facing limitations from a decades-old, homegrown IAM system managing over 143,000 identities, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi sought a modern, scalable solution. Challenges included poor documentation, manual workflows, limited automation, and slow change management. By implementing Fischer Identity, the university replaced its legacy processes with a configurable, enterprise-grade platform focused on user lifecycle automation and self-service. The results included streamlined identity workflows, reduced risk of orphaned accounts, enhanced user experience, and improved compliance—all while reducing help desk volume and freeing IT resources to focus on strategic priorities.

University of Virginia

Faced with an aging, homegrown IAM system and increasing operational, security, and compliance demands, the University of Virginia turned to Fischer Identity for a modern, scalable solution. Fischer’s platform streamlined identity onboarding, automated provisioning and deprovisioning, and unified credentials across systems—enhancing user experience, reducing risk, and eliminating costly inefficiencies. Within a year, UVA securely managed over 180,000 active users and nearly 2 million identities, while seamlessly transitioning to Workday HCM with minimal disruption.

UW Credit Union

The University of Wisconsin Credit Union (UWCU) replaced its manual identity and access management (IAM) processes with Fischer Identity’s automated IAM solution to meet regulatory compliance and improve operational efficiency. Through user lifecycle automation, self-service access requests, and access certification capabilities, UWCU enhanced provisioning accuracy, reduced security risks, and streamlined audits. The implementation delivered measurable ROI while supporting scalable, secure identity governance across the organization.

VITAS Healthcare

To support its mobile workforce and meet strict healthcare regulations, VITAS Healthcare replaced manual IAM processes with Fischer Identity’s cloud-based solution. By automating provisioning, enforcing policy-based access control, and streamlining audits, VITAS improved operational efficiency, reduced risk, and ensured timely access to critical systems—delivering better care and stronger compliance across the organization.