Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM stands for Identity and Access Management. It is a framework of policies, technologies, and processes that organizations use to manage and secure digital identities (i.e., individuals, employees, customers, partners, devices) and control their access to various resources within the organization's IT environment. IAM plays a critical role in enhancing security, streamlining operations, and ensuring that the right people have the right level of access to the right resources at the right time.

IAM systems facilitate the creation, modification, and deletion of user accounts, also known as identity provisioning and deprovisioning. This includes user onboarding when employees join an organization and offboarding when they leave.

IAM systems provide mechanisms for verifying the identities of users and devices. This can include password-based authentication, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), biometric authentication, and Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions.

IAM controls determine what resources or data users and devices are allowed to access. Authorization policies define the permissions and privileges associated with different roles and identities. IAM solutions enforce access control policies, ensuring that only authorized users and devices can access specific applications, systems, networks, and data. This helps protect against unauthorized access.

IAM enables federated identity, allowing users to access resources across multiple domains or organizations without needing separate credentials for each. Identity federation is commonly used in Single Sign-On (SSO) scenarios.

IAM systems often use RBAC to assign and manage permissions based on user roles and responsibilities. Users are assigned roles, and roles are associated with specific access permissions. IAM platforms support the creation and management of access control policies that define who can access what resources under which conditions. Policies can be fine-tuned to meet security and compliance requirements.

IAM solutions maintain logs and records of user activities, including authentication and access requests. These logs are crucial for auditing, compliance reporting, and detecting security incidents. IAM systems typically include features for password management, including password policies, password reset, and self-service password recovery.

IAM solutions may include identity verification processes, such as identity proofing, to ensure that individuals are who they claim to be. IAM systems can enhance security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of authentication, such as something they know (password), something they have (smart card), or something they are (fingerprint).

IAM helps organizations meet security and compliance requirements by enforcing access controls, monitoring user activities, and maintaining audit trails.