Stealing passwords and hacking into networks is easier than ever with improvements in current technology, emphasizing the significance of IAM. In less than a second, a hacker can crack a four-letter, two-digit password. More crucially, if your data isn’t stored on a completely private server, a breach anywhere on the system might expose everyone’s information.
You’ll need a solid set of standards to assist you to establish access controls and safeguard your information systems from cybersecurity threats whenever you manage people who need to access numerous sorts of data in order to accomplish their job or purchase a product. IAM (Identity and Access Management) technologies are built to do exactly that. And in this article, we will talk more about the value of IAM in your company.
What is Identity Access Management?
Identity and access management, or IAM, is a security discipline that allows the right entities to access the right resources such as applications and data when they need them, without interfering with their ability to use the devices they desire. IAM refers to the tools and processes that enable IT managers to issue each entity a distinct digital identity, authenticate them when they log in, provide them access to certain resources, and track and manage those identities.
As a result, identity management’s ultimate purpose is to grant access to the enterprise assets that people and devices have rights to in a given context. Onboarding users and systems, permission authorizations, and timely offboarding of users and devices are all part of this process.
How does IAM work?
There are three essential functions of identity and access management: Authentication, Accounting, and Authorization. Only authorized individuals should have access to computers, hardware, software apps, or any other IT resources, or should be able to do certain activities.
With the addition of new users or the changing of roles of existing users, the list of access privileges must be kept up to date at all times. Identity and access management is often handled by IT or departments that deal with data processing and cybersecurity in a company. Let’s explain these functions briefly.
- Authentication — Authentication is predicated on the premise that each individual user will have unique information that distinguishes them from other users and that this information will be used to give proof of identification when they identify themselves.
- Accounting — Accounting is the process of keeping track of a user’s activities when accessing system resources, such as the amount of time spent in the network, the services accessed during that time, and the quantity of data exchanged during that time.
- Authorization — Authorization is the process of providing or denying users’ access to system resources after a user has been authenticated with a username and password, The quantity of information and services to which a user has access is determined by their permission level.
The Solutions IAM Offers To Boost Security
The identity and access functions are usually bundled into a single application. The creation, administration, and deployment of IDs, credentials, and characteristics are all part of the identity management process. When information access is requested, on the other hand, access management focuses on the control of rights issued to users and evaluating those permissions against identification. Furthermore, IAM offers a variety of solutions:
- Management of Credentials — IAM solution offers password breach detection and access restriction until the password is restored and some of them may offer passwordless login.
- Data Security — IAM utilizes different data security measures such as single sign-on, SQL injections, and different authentication methods.
- Management of Access — It uses methods like SSO, biometrics, 2FA, and user provisioning to verify that users and devices accessing the network are verified.
- Automatic De-Provisioning — When a user leaves the company or their job within the organization changes, it automatically de-provision access permissions.
- Identification of Humans and Devices — IAM maintains the IDs of devices and applications which increases trust and provides more information about whether a person is who they say they are and what applications they have access to.
- Single Sign-on — Single Sign-On (SSO) is a feature of most IAM solutions that allows users to access all of their company apps and services with only one set of login credentials.
Benefits of IAM
Capturing, recording, and managing user identities and access rights are all automated using identity and access management systems. It enhances security and reduces the danger of external and internal attacks. Companies can benefit from IAM in a variety of ways.
1- Regulatory Compliance
Organizations are held accountable for managing access to consumer and employee information under government data requirements such as the CCPA, HIPAA, and GDPR. Data security, privacy, and protection obligations.
Who has access to information and how that access is safeguarded, are all closely tied to IAM in the rules. As a result, IAM solutions assist businesses in achieving regulatory compliance as well as industry best security practice requirements.
2- Improved Security
IAM solutions assist companies in implementing appropriate security rules across all systems, platforms, applications, and devices. This makes it easy to spot security flaws, cancel access when necessary, and eliminate insecure access rights.
Employees can access systems based on their roles, but privileges cannot be escalated without consent or a role change using IAM systems. As a result, the risk of insider security attacks is greatly reduced.
3- Improved User Experience
Single-factor authentication, for example, allows for easy access across numerous channels. As consumers discover new methods to share their material, improved user experience and security assurance become more important. Single-factor authentication allows users to connect to different platforms without having to log out. This allows them to continue sharing material without interruption.
Final Word
In a nutshell, a robust IAM solution grows with your company’s data security demands, centralizes user information, and makes central IT governance easier to deploy. The correct compliance management software may help you automate and track the many components of your IAM program, strengthening security and allowing your IT management to respond rapidly to cybersecurity concerns. So it is important not to underestimate the importance of Identity and Access Management.
