Discuss identity as a control plane
First, we should probably answer the question - what is a control plane? A control plane is a term that has been used for years within networks. It's the part of a network that routes network traffic around the network architecture. So, a control plane is a tool or service that directs access to resources based on specific criteria. When it comes to solutions in today's world, the user identity is the right place to check for access. This sets up identity as the control plane.
With the many networks, devices, and applications needed in daily business, the only common denominator is the user. This is why we say, Identity is the control plane. It’s critical to establish who the user is as the core of trust for other transactions. If we aren’t sure who the user is, no other system access control or security matters. Once we're sure of the user, we can explicitly verify every element of access whether our resources are on-premises, in cloud-hosted servers, or managed by third-party SaaS apps like Office 365.