Identity & Access Management

What does IAM consist of?

IAM consists of several elements that work together. The
basic components of IAM include:

• Identity Management: Identity identification and lifecycle management, as well as the lifecycle of user accounts. It involves unambiguous identification of users and entities in an organization's IT systems. It also supports the entire lifecycle of identities and user accounts, provisioning (creating new accounts in IT systems/applications) and deprovisioning (disabling or deleting accounts).
•  Authentication: Once a user has been identified, they must prove their identity using authentication methods (e.g., passwords, tokens, biometrics, or MFA).
•  Authorization/Permissions: Once authenticated, the system determines what activities and resources the user has access to. Permissions can be controlled, for example, in the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model, where permissions are assigned based on the user's role in the organization, ensuring that employees have the access they need to perform their job duties.
•  Access control: includes both physical and logical access controls, e.g. Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to access multiple applications and IT systems with a single set of credentials. This simplifies the login process and increases security.
• Governance & Compliance: Identity and access management systems can monitor user activity and provide an audit trail for their activities. Audit data is essential for regulatory compliance and security analysis.
   

Importance of IAM

• Enhanced Security: IAM strengthens the security of an organization by ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to data, information, and IT systems, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data integrity breaches.
• Regulatory & Regulatory Compliance: Many industries and regions have numerous regulations and legal requirements for data protection and access control. IAM helps you stay compliant and supports compliance by minimizing the risk of costly fines and legal issues.
• Optimization: IAM streamlines identity and user access management processes, making it easier to onboard new employees, grant and revoke access, and monitor user activity on target systems. This has a significant impact on the reduction of operating costs not only in the IT area, but also in HR.
• User Experience: IAM allows you to access the resources you need faster and easier, without unnecessary obstacles or delays.
   

How do I transform my IAM?

The IAM transformation consists of several stages:

• Pre-implementation analysis: Understand the needs of the organization and current identity and access management processes, as well as identify gaps, limitations, and weaknesses.
  
  
• Planning: Defining the IAM strategy, designing processes for the identity/account and entitlement lifecycle, selecting the IAM solution (system) and supporting technologies.
  
•  Implementation: Implementation of IAM processes and solutions and their integration with IT systems and applications used in the organization.
• Testing: Ensure that processes and the IAM system are working as intended.
  
• Monitoring & Optimization: Monitor system performance and user activity and conduct regular security assessments.

SUMMARY

Identity and access management is a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity and a key pillar of the Zero Trust concept. Proper digital identity and access management helps reduce the occurrence and impact of digital threats, accelerate Joiner/Mover/Leaver processes, and optimize technical onboarding time for employees and contractors. It also allows you to maintain compliance with regulatory standards.