iam

Identity and Access Management, commonly abbreviated as IAM, is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies designed to manage digital identities and control user access to resources within an organization. IAM covers the full lifecycle of identities, including creation, modification, and deletion, as well as authentication and authorization to ensure that the right individuals have appropriate access.

Core functions of IAM include authentication, which verifies user identities; authorization, which grants or restricts access to resources; and provisioning and deprovisioning, which manage user accounts and access rights as roles change. IAM also emphasizes monitoring, auditing, and reporting to support compliance and governance. Common access-control models used within IAM are role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), and policy-based access control (PBAC). Technologies often involved comprise directory services, single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and privileged access management (PAM).

Standards and interoperability features are important in IAM. Notable standards include SAML for exchanging authentication and authorization data, OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect for delegated authentication, and SCIM for automating user provisioning. Cloud environments frequently implement cloud-specific IAM services, such as AWS IAM, Azure Active Directory, and Google Cloud IAM, which govern access to cloud resources and services.

IAM can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations. Benefits include improved security, streamlined user provisioning, and enhanced regulatory compliance, while challenges may involve complexity, policy governance, cost, and vendor lock-in.