Identity and access management (IAM) is the process of managing individual network identities (this includes devices as well as users) to determine access privileges for cloud and on-premise applications.
IAM technologies enable IT teams to verify identities - otherwise known as authentication - and to ensure authorization of users, granting permission to allowed resources and applications that they are permitted to access. The main objective of IAM systems is to establish one digital identity for each individual or item. Thereafter, that digital identity can be maintained, monitored, or modified at any time. Moreover, IAM allows organizations to manage applications as a whole without having to log in to each app separately as an administration. Your organization can also manage a wider range of identities, just like IoT devices or robotics do, including but not limited to software, people, and hardware.
Identity and access management (IAM) systems manage user identities and access permissions. Using an IAM system allows IT departments to use provisioning (specifying the specific tools or access levels users can be granted), assign roles, or provide authentication. IAM also permits IT teams to remove access if needed. Additionally, identity and access management is useful in generating reports that indicate types of authentication, which systems have been accessed, and login times, and also shed light on security risks.
Identity and access management as a service (or IDaaS) consists of cloud-based solutions meant for IAM functions to authenticate users and make sure they are who they say they are. IDaaS allows users who work both on- and off-premise (whether they are third-party, customers, or employees) to securely access sensitive information. IDaaS is also used to obtain a better understanding of user behaviors.
They are not exactly the same thing. Identity management stores information about a user’s identity to authenticate that you are who you claim to be. Access management, on the other hand, is the management of your identity information to determine your access rights to software suites or any other resource needed to perform your job responsibilities.
Organizations need identity and access management to protect their enterprise systems and sensitive information from unauthorized users. With an IAM system in place, businesses can improve their security. For example, your organization becomes very vulnerable to attacks if a user’s password or email address is breached. However, IAM services work to prevent that. In addition, organizations benefit from IAM because it increases productivity. Employees don’t have to worry about access or having the correct password, and consequently, IT departments have a more reduced workload.
IAM tools include some of the following:
An implementation strategy for identity and access management includes the following:
The benefits of identity and access management as a service include:
When selecting an identity and access management as a service, here are some features you may want to look for:
