We no longer live in a world that follows traditional work culture. Post-COVID, there was a vast shift as several businesses adopted remote working and flexible schedules. Businesses also made significant infrastructure changes which allowed employees to access data from wherever they were.
Though this structure created continuity and flexibility to keep the business running, it also brought challenges regarding security. Therefore, for better access control, identity and access management came into the picture.
Let us understand in detail what IAM is and the different components of identity and access management.
What is IAM?
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a security discipline that focuses on access control, i.e., who can access what and how to use those resources. Due to this limitation and controllable access, data remains safe as there is no unauthorised access.
Therefore, employees have access to the exact data that they need to get their job done and nothing more. Employees are given a unique digital identity using which they can log in to the system where they get a role and compliance-based access.
How Does Identity and Access Management Work?
IAM creates a primary directory database that contains data about employees or users and what they can do within the system. As users use this system and move around, IAM verifies them at different levels. It also tracks their activities, ensuring they only do what they are assigned to do.
The essential reason for implementing Identity and Access Management (IAM) in infrastructure is to secure it against hackers.
IAM provides authorised access to employees so that they can do only what they need to do and nothing more. To achieve this goal, IAM uses a variety of tools and strategies, but the basic structure of every infrastructure follows the same.
Reason Why Businesses Need IAM Solutions?
As businesses are adopting a work-from-home culture and cloud access, it is challenging to keep track of who has access to what. Therefore, to ensure complete security in such a scenario, IAM becomes super important.
So let us understand how identity management systems offer better security –
- Ensure authentication and authorisation process is streamlined
- Ensure that authorisation is based on roles and right people get the proper access
- Maintains clear records of who does what with particular data based on privacy and security laws.
Advantages and Disadvantages of IAM Solutions
| Advantages of IAM | Disadvantages of IAM |
| IAM offers a robust security safeguarding system and infrastructure against hacking. | You need to implement significant investment and skilled personnel. |
| It simplifies the whole process of collaboration with businesses and individuals. | It may create divisions and unequal compliance. |
| Ensures compliance standards are met like the least privilege rule. | There can be operational challenges. |
| Easier resolution of authorisation issues. | Implementation and monitoring can be time-consuming. |
What is the Difference Between Identity Management and Access Management?
Identity management confirms your identity, i.e., it checks if you are who you say you are. This is done through an identity management system that holds your credentials – like your login information, your job title, etc.
Access management uses your identity to determine what you have access to and how much access you have. For example, within an organisation, access management will ensure that managers have access to resources like timesheet approvals, but not so much access where they approve their own timesheets.
Conclusion
For every business, data is its primary asset. Therefore, businesses that implement robust identity and access management policies ensure they build a safe infrastructure to house their data. Few businesses also use multi-factor authentication or certificates to build a robust infrastructure.
Though various identity access management tools and frameworks are used, the foundation on which they are built is the same. They all ensure data safety through strict identity verification processes and follow the principle of least privilege for access management.
