What is Identity and Access Management (IAM)?
Identity and Access Management is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies designed to manage digital identities by controlling who has access to organization resources. IAM ensures that the right users have the access they need to the organization’s resources at the right time and for the right reasons.
IAM Concepts
Identity Management
Organizations need to establish digital identities for users, devices, and systems. These digital identities are created by assigning a unique identifier such as IDs, usernames, etc.
Provisioning and deprovisioning is the process of assigning and revoking access privileges. An example is when employees join or leave the company their accounts are either activated or deactivated.
Directory services are centralized databases where identities and their credentials are stored and managed. A couple of examples of these are Microsoft Active Directory (AD) or LDAP.
Authentication
Username & Password: the most common form of verifying that someone is who they claim to be
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): An extra layer of verification. An example could be a password and a code sent to the user’s phone or email
Biometrics: using fingerprints, facial recognition, or voice patterns to authenticate users
Single Sign-On (SSO): allows users to authenticate once, and gain access to multiple systems or apps without needing to repetitively log in
Access Control
Based on specified policies, IAM determines what resources and actions users can perform.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): users are assigned specific roles and those roles determine access privileges. For example, someone in the finance team has access to financial data. There can be tiers to roles too, such as a manager may have more access to systems or information compared to an associate
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): users get access based on attributes. For example, a user can access sensitive information if they are on the corporate network
Least Privilege Access: users have access to the minimum amount of resources to perform their job
Authorization
After authentication, the systems check if a user is authorized to access specific resources. Authorization policies ensure that permissions are managed according to the organization’s security and compliance requirements.
Monitoring and Auditing
Continuous monitoring of login attempts, access patterns, and user activities helps detect potential security threats. Auditing ensures that access control policies are followed and provides records of all activity.
The Importance of IAM
The goal of IAM is to ensure the security of an organization’s assets by limiting access to authorized users. A robust IAM system reduces the chance of security breaches because access to sensitive information is controlled and logged.
Several industries secure access to data by implementing regulatory requirements. Common regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and more require organizations to manage user access to secure sensitive data. IAM improves an organization's ability to maintain compliance by ensuring that access control policies align with regulatory standards.
Automation of identity provisioning, deprovisioning, and role assignment reduces the risk of error and ensures that users get the right access securely and effectively. IAM streamlines the process of managing access rights, thus reducing the burden on IT teams.
Insider threats can be risky for organizations whether intentional or accidental. IAM minimizes these risks by implementing the least privilege access model and enabling monitored control over access rights.
IAM improves user experience by utilizing methods like SSO, biometrics, or MFA. This makes the authentication process more secure and seamless.
IAM is evolving with the modern world
Cloud-based IAM solutions like Microsoft Azure Active Directory, AWS, and Google Cloud Identity provide centralized control over cloud resources. These platforms integrate with existing on-prem IAM systems which allows consistent management across environments.
Securing access from any location has become a necessity because of the increase in remote work. IAM platforms should be able to support a wide range of devices and locations ensuring that their assets are not compromised. Hence solutions like MFA and SSO ensure secure and easy access from anywhere.
The Zero-Trust Security model ensures that organizations assume breaches for any given user, device, or network until verified. Access is only granted to those users or devices after verification whether it’s inside or outside the corporate network. Zero Trust relies on IAM solutions to ensure strict access control policies to monitor user behaviors and adjust access in real time based on potential risks.
Best Practices
Least Privilege Approach limits access to resources that are required for the users to perform the job.
Multi-factor authentication requires users to use more than one form of authentication so there’s a reduced risk of unauthorized access.
Automating Identity Lifecycle Management reduces the risk of errors in the provisioning, and deprovisioning of users based on their role or status.
Enforce Strong Password Policies where users create complex passwords and change them regularly. Using password managers or other forms of authentication ensures more security.
Monitor and Audit Access uses logging and monitoring tools to detect suspicious activity ensure compliance with security polices.
Centralized IAM management solutions manage access across various systems and applications, especially since organizations use both on-prem and cloud-based systems. This ensures consistent policy enforcement.