IAM Fundamentals
Overview
Identity and access management ensures the right person or system gets the right level of access at the right time, spanning authentication, authorization, account management, and identity lifecycle.
Key concepts
- Identity, credential
- Least privilege
- Provisioning vs. deprovisioning
How it works
Identity and access management (IAM) is the process of managing digital identities and controlling access to systems, applications, networks, and data — ensuring the right person or system gets the right level of access at the right time. IAM spans authentication, authorization, account management, access reviews, and identity lifecycle management.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Identity | A digital representation of a user, device, application, service, or system. |
| Credential | Information or a security factor used to prove an identity. |
| Least privilege | Giving users only the minimum access needed to complete their job or task. |
| Account provisioning | Creating accounts and assigning access to users, devices, or applications. |
| Deprovisioning | Removing or disabling accounts and access that are no longer needed. |