Internal tools are often trusted by network location alone. That assumption fails the moment a laptop or token is compromised.
Patterns covered: identity-aware proxies in front of admin UIs, workload identity for services, and policy-as-code for who can reach what.
Why it matters: platform teams concentrate privileged access; hardening the IDP protects every product team behind it.
Tools mentioned include Tailscale/Funnel-style access patterns, OPA-style policy checks, and short-lived cloud credentials.
Apply this by inventorying internal apps still reachable only via VPN IP allowlists, then putting identity in front of the highest-risk ones first.