Identity management and accessibility should be a key strategic and technical priority for businesses in 2022. Identity and accessibility management or IAM is a broad term. IAM describes internal organizational processes aimed at managing user accounts and network resources, including access rights for users, systems, and applications.
The broad goal of IAM manage user identity on network and authenticate users.
The following are the main things you should know about IAM in general and also, in particular, its benefits.
IAM concepts
IAM is a broad term associated with identifying individuals in a system and controlling how they access a system.
IAM is a way of controlling who is authenticated or signed in and who is allowed to use certain resources.
With IAM, there are systems and processes in place so that IT administrators can assign a single digital identity to each entity. Then with that single digital identity, they can be allowed access to certain resources, and their identities are monitored and managed.
Along with IAM for employees, businesses and organizations need to consider its relevance for business partners, contractors, customers, and remote and mobile consumers. Identity is also assigned to devices that are part of the Internet of Things, robots, and code snippets.
Multicloud IT environments and software as a service add more complexity and requirement to the IAM landscape.
Below, we got into more of the the special benefits of IAM.
Centralized access control
When you have too much access to your systems, there are risks, but too little access is a problem because you affect productivity and make your users frustrated. IAM strikes a balance. You can set centralized policies for the right levels of access benefits.
The roles and attributes of each user can be used to determine what resources they should have access to and to what extent they can access them.
It’s easier management combined with greater security and flexibility.
Reduce cybersecurity risks
When using identity and access management with MFA and SSO, your employees do not need to create and remember multiple strong passwords. Instead, they can verify their identity with evidence-based consent.
Encryption tools are also available with IAM to protect sensitive data while it is being transmitted and to reduce the risk of breach of user credentials.
With IAM, your organization is empowered and proactive in identifying policy violations and removing access benefits when needed, without examining multiple distributed systems.
You will know at any given time that the right security measures are in place and that these measures meet regulatory and audit requirements.
You can provide and disable access quickly, and you can use identity analytics to improve risk management and decision making.
Research shows that over 80% of data breaches are due to weak or stolen passwords. IAM implements best practices for certification management.
Reducing Internal Threats
More and more security breaches come from backstage players within an organization. IAM helps protect against these as well.
IAM can limit the damage done by internal people by ensuring that users only have access to the systems they need to do their job. They cannot increase their access benefits without permission.
Productivity
Centralized, automated management of the life cycle of identity and accessibility. Workflows are automated for specific tasks, such as moving a job or hiring a new person. There is more processing time for any changes in accessibility and identity and fewer errors.
Remote Access
Secure access that happens securely is a major priority for organizations at the moment, as many are moving towards hybrid or all – remote work.
Customers always need their identity to access services and facilities. With IAM, users can access facilities securely wherever they are physically located.
Improved user experience
When you have to remember multiple usernames and passwords to log in to resources, it can be challenging and tedious. For users, IAM makes this more manageable and can help them feel more satisfied rather than worrying about logging into many different systems with different credentials. .
The use of identity and access management can reduce processes for end users, system administrators, and application owners.
Properly implemented, identity management and access should be intuitive and easy to use.
Finally, IAM solutions can reduce operating costs. The need for local identity is eliminated, which simplifies application management. When you use a cloud-based IAM solution, you reduce costs even further and pay for just what you need.