What is identity management (IM)? Identity management (IM), also referred to as identity and access management (IAM), is an organizational process used to securely connect electronic or digital identities with the right levels of access.
Using an IAM framework, organizations and IT teams can assume control over multiple layers of access to make sure users have the appropriate permissions required to do their job, but also to limit permissions to resources that don’t apply to them such as critical and private business information. IAM systems make sure a person is who they claim to be by means of identification, authentication, and authorization. IAMs goal is to deliver a secure and frictionless experience for every user, while also aiming to provide a foundation for a zero-trust strategy. IAM technology also works to secure and store identities along with profile data and data governance functions so that only data that is relevant or necessary is shared. Identity management systems can be easily deployed on-premises, either by using a third-party vendor (cloud-based subscription model) or can also be deployed in a hybrid model.
In identity management, roles refer to a set of predefined parameters that help manage and control which access is granted to users. Role-based access control (RBAC) identifies when a user joins or changes a role in an enterprise or if a job role has been updated, alerting IT teams to adjust access rights if a role change warrants it.
Identity management is made up of several different components:
IAM (identity and access management) refers to the access management controls such as the decision to block or allow users from having access rights to a specific database, sensitive information, other resources, etc. It does this via portals connected to login pages or protocols while also validating whether the individual who is requesting access actually deserves the rights to access in the first place. This differs from authentication because while authentication can identify a user, it can not determine whether they should or should not have access. In other words, IAM handles authorization rather than authentication.
On the other hand, Identity management, or IDM, manages digital identities. IDM works by creating unique designations for users by combining digital attributes and entries in a database. IDM systems create, maintain, monitor, and also delete identities within an enterprise network. They manage authentication and help businesses ensure that users have the correct permissions they need to perform their job responsibilities.
Identity management products are systems or technologies that are designed to simplify user provisioning and also an account setup process. These products focus on decreasing the amount of time it takes to complete such processes by using a controlled workflow that reduces errors while simultaneously allowing automated account fulfillment. A good identity management product should provide administrators with the ability to instantly view, modify, and monitor roles and access rights for all users. To efficiently manage access rights, an IAM system should have a solid central directory that automatically matches job titles and other business unit identifiers, along with their locations with their relevant privilege levels.
According to IT Central Station (soon to be Peerspot) users, key aspects of I&A solutions to consider include: multi-platform support, robustness, integration options, stability, automation options, and SDK availability.
Benefits of identity management tools include:
Some of the main features included with identity management tools are: