The Rijksmuseum saves hours in identity management with Microsoft Entra ID Governance.

The Rijksmuseum’s identity management and access rights needed an upgrade to handle the increasing complexity of identity management and the need to comply with strict security standards and regulations.

With the help of Microsoft partner InSpark, the Rijksmuseum implemented Microsoft Entra ID Governance as part of its ongoing partnership with Microsoft.

Microsoft Entra ID governance has reduced administrative burdens, improved the user experience, and decreased time spent managing user access by 15%.

Upholding the integrity of Dutch arts

From Vermeer to Van Gogh, the Rijksmuseum houses some of the most celebrated pieces in Dutch arts and history. The national museum of the Netherlands receives millions of visitors each year and employs over 1,000 people for its services, ranging from research to conservation to cleaning and beyond. Employees engage in a variety of digital transactions and interactions that require precise identity management and access rights. These digital interactions include accessing internal databases for collection information, participating in online collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, and using HR systems for personnel management. “It’s essential that each system is secure and only accessible to authorized users to ensure the integrity of our data and the safety of our collections,” says Caroline Evers, Functional Manager for Identity and Access Management at the Rijksmuseum.

Error-prone, delayed manual processes

Keeping data secure isn’t only about managing whohas access to data, but also about managing whatthey can do with that access. The Rijksmuseum adheres to strict policies on which rights are associated with which positions, and the HR team upholds this by maintaining the roles of new and existing employee profiles, including job descriptions and access needs. Previously, the IT department granted access management rights upon request from department heads. This manual process was largely dependent on spreadsheets and local databases, resulting in a high error rate and delays and inconsistencies, especially when employees changed roles or needed access to new systems. It also required regular audits to ensure security and accuracy. “During an internal audit, we discovered that several external workers still had access to systems after their contracts had ended, simply because their access rights were not revoked in time,” says Evers.

The Rijksmuseum wanted a solution that could fully integrate with its HR system and other IT solutions, automatically assign and revoke access rights based on employees’ roles and responsibilities, and offer transparency and scalability.

Given Microsoft’s strong reputation for security and regulatory compliance, it was easy for us to rely on Entra ID Governance, a solution that meets the highest security standards and helps us meet relevant regulations.

Caroline Evers, Functional Manager for Identity and Access Management, Rijksmuseum

An ongoing partnership

Recently, the Rijksmuseum and Microsoft signed a two-year collaboration agreement to further strengthen digital infrastructure and security at the museum. The partnership reinforced the museum’s decision to choose a Microsoft solution, knowing that employees could rely on direct support and expertise. Additionally, the Rijksmuseum decided to work with InSpark as its implementation partner. InSpark is a Microsoft partner that delivers digital solutions to customers and a multi-year recipient of the Microsoft Partner of the Year award.

The Rijksmuseum chose Microsoft Entra ID Governance as its identity management and access rights solutions since it seamlessly integrated with the existing Microsoft environment. The solution fulfilled the museum’s need for automatic access and revocation based on predefined roles, allowing an employee to be automatically synchronized with Entra ID Governance once they’re registered in the HR system. InSpark worked closely with the internal IT teams at Rijksmuseum to ensure everything ran smoothly. “InSpark played a crucial role in translating our business and operational needs into technical solutions. Their deep knowledge of both the technology and our specific requirements were key to the success of the project,” says Evers. Pim Jacobs, Microsoft MVP & Principal Consultant at InSpark adds, “By executing workshops with IT and the business of Rijksmuseum, we created a roadmap together. With that we identified the identity governance priorities of the Rijksmuseum and stayed in touch over time to keep improving the system and reducing the manual tasks the museum had before.” InSpark was especially adept at adding customizations that could fit the specific security requirements of an ever-growing museum.

“Given Microsoft’s strong reputation for security and regulatory compliance, it was easy for us to rely on Entra ID Governance, a solution that meets the highest security standards and helps us meet relevant regulations,” says Evers. Currently, approximately 1,100 users are utilizing the Entra ID Governance system within the Rijksmuseum, including internal employees like permanent staff and interns, and external users like cleaners, restorers, and contractors. The solution also provides extensive auditing and reporting capabilities to easily monitor access in one system. “With Entra ID Governance, we have better visibility and control over who has access to which systems and data,” says Evers. Overall, the solution increased efficiency, offered better collaboration, and ensured strict security and compliance requirements. And the Rijksmuseum has seen a 15% reduction in time spent on managing user access.

With Entra ID Governance, we have better visibility and control over who has access to which systems and data.

Caroline Evers, Functional Manager for Identity and Access Management, Rijksmuseum

Securing 800 years of art

As the Rijksmuseum continues its mission and initiatives to digitize art collections and archives, Entra ID Governance is playing an important role of protecting those efforts. The administrative burden on IT has been significantly reduced, allowing the team to focus on more strategic tasks. Though entirely behind-the-scenes, the digital transformation ensures that the day-to-day interactions and experiences of museum visitors are moving smoothly. Evers adds, “As the Rijksmuseum continues to grow and digitalize in the future, Microsoft will provide us with the confidence to scale.”