Identity Fundamentals
Learn the Basics
What’s IAM?
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a framework of policies and technologies that ensures the right users have appropriate access to resources. It helps organizations secure sensitive data, enforce compliance, and manage user identities effectively. IAM solutions typically include authentication, authorization, user provisioning, and auditing mechanisms.
A key principle of IAM is Least Privilege, which means users should only have the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. This reduces security risks by limiting access to critical systems. IAM also supports Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), allowing organizations to define access based on roles, attributes, or conditions.
Modern IAM solutions integrate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to enhance security by requiring multiple forms of verification. Additionally, Single Sign-On (SSO) simplifies user access by allowing them to log in once and gain access to multiple applications without re-entering credentials.
IAM is essential for cloud security, enabling centralized access control across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. It plays a vital role in regulatory compliance, ensuring businesses adhere to security standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2. As cyber threats evolve, IAM continues to be a critical component in protecting identities and securing digital resources.
Authentication vs Authorization
- Authentication: Confirms who you are (e.g., logging in with a password or biometrics).
- Authorization: Determines what you can do (e.g., access control policies).
Glossary
- IAM: Identity and Access Management
- MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication
- RBAC: Role-Based Access Control
- SSO: Single Sign-On
- ACL: Access Control List
- JWT: JSON Web Token – A compact, URL-safe token format used for securely transmitting claims between parties, commonly for authentication and authorization.
- JWK: JSON Web Key – A JSON-based data structure representing cryptographic keys used to sign and validate JWTs.