What is IAM?
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring that the right people in an enterprise have the correct access to technology resources. IAM systems can be used to initiate, capture, record, and manage user identities and their corresponding access permissions in an automated fashion. This means that only authorized people are allowed access to certain resources at the right times and for the right reasons.
Why IAM Exists?
The inception of Identity and Access Management is primarily to prevent data breaches and cyber threats. As businesses grow, so does the size of their user base, and the difficulty of managing disparate identities and access permissions also increases. IAM creates a secure and productive user environment by ensuring only authorized users have access to critical data and applications, reducing the chances of insider threats and promoting regulatory compliance.
Who Needs IAM and Its Commonality?
IAM is essential for any organization, irrespective of its size or industry. From start-ups to multinational corporations, any entity that needs to manage its user access in a secure and efficient manner needs IAM. It is quite ubiquitous in today's digital landscape, given the rising importance of data security and privacy regulations. Bilateral adoption of IAM is common within organizations of varying sizes and across industries ranging from technology to finance, healthcare, and government bodies.
How IAM is Used in Cloud Infrastructure and SaaS?
With organizations progressively migrating to cloud services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models, IAM's role has become even more integral. In Cloud Infrastructure, IAM ensures only authorized users can access certain cloud services, providing businesses with greater control and visibility over their sensitive data. Similarly, in SaaS platforms, an effective IAM strategy allows organizations to manage user identities across multiple applications and control user access in a centralized manner.
IAM and Cybersecurity
In the context of cybersecurity, IAM forms the cornerstone of enterprise security strategies. It is necessary to regulate access, authenticate user identities, establish trust, and mitigate potential risks. This is where principles like least privilege access come into play, which postulates giving users the minimum levels of access or permissions they need to perform their work tasks. This reduces the risk of an insider to accidentally or maliciously misuse their privileges, increasing security within the company. DevOps teams also leverage IAM to build secure applications, enforcing access controls right from the development stage.
