Petar Vojinovic
Published on: September 15, 2025
SafetyDetectives recently spoke with François Amigorena, founder of IS Decisions, about the company’s 25-year journey alongside Microsoft Active Directory, the evolution of access security, and why keeping security simple remains a key defense against cyber threats.
What inspired the founding of IS Decisions back in 2000, and how has the company evolved since then?
In early 2000, Microsoft officially launched Active Directory. A milestone release, but one with the same blind spot that had existed since Windows NT. AD gave organizations identity, but almost no security layers around access to its most precious resources.
That same year, I founded IS Decisions to close that gap. From day one, our mission was simple: give IT teams the control and visibility AD lacked.
Twenty-five years later, AD is still the backbone of most global organizations’ identity. And IS Decisions is still building effective, simple solutions to put security where it matters most: at the point of access.
How does IS Decisions differentiate itself through its approach to access management and cybersecurity for Windows environments?
We stay close to AD. While others rush to SaaS, we continue to build on-premises solutions by design. Why? Because not every organization wants to, or can, send sensitive identity data outside its network. The cloud may be convenient, but every time you push identity data there, you expand your attack surface.
After 25 years, we’ve learned a few truths:
- Visibility is power. If you can’t see sessions in real time, you can’t secure them.
- Complex tools don’t get used. Security must be simple, or it fails.
- Context is everything. Time, location, device, session type: access control without context leaves you with either too much or too little security.
That pragmatic focus is what makes us different.
Can you describe how IS Decisions designs its products to balance affordability, non-disruption, and ease of use for IT teams?
Security should protect your bottom line, not penalize it. That means no rip-and-replace, no endless training. Our software integrates directly with AD, so teams can deploy in hours, not weeks.
We also keep pricing accessible. Effective security shouldn’t be reserved for the Fortune 500. Threats don’t discriminate by company size. And we keep it simple because, let’s face it, complicated tools gather dust.
That’s why we just released a brand-new interface for UserLock 13.0 (currently in beta): clearer, faster, and easier. Because the best security is the one people actually use.
What role has your status as a Microsoft Partner and France CyberSecurity label played in shaping the company’s growth and credibility?
Trust matters in security. Without it, you have nothing.
Our long-standing partnership with Microsoft has shown customers that our team’s AD expertise is recognized at the source.
The France CyberSecurity label adds another layer of independent recognition here in Europe. For government, defense, and regulated industries, it’s proof that our software meets strict standards of sovereignty and reliability.
Together, these validations reassure customers that IS Decisions delivers what we promise.
What are your aspirations for IS Decisions’ future direction, especially in response to emerging cybersecurity challenges?
The world has changed. Twenty-five years ago, most employees sat at desktops. Today, they’re everywhere: remote, hybrid, mobile.Threats are constant. Compliance is relentless. Zero Trust is no longer optional.
Our mission is the same: to keep providing essential security layers around AD access as it evolves. More visibility. More context. More access control. Without more complexity.
Over the years, we’ve helped organizations prevent breaches, prove compliance, and strengthen security without killing productivity. With UserLock 13.0, we’re ready for the next chapter. Because AD may be 25 years old, but it’s not going anywhere. And in today’s world, where identity is the new perimeter, enforcing strong access control has never been more urgent.
