For modern organizations, identity and access management (IAM) solutions serve as the frontline defense for data security. They enable accurate and efficient management of identities and their access rights to content, applications and other IT resources. Activity auditing and analytics help IT teams promptly spot threats and respond effectively to preserve security and business continuity. Moreover, adopting IAM is a key step in embracing a Zero Trust security model.
Below, we reveal what features to look for in IAM tools, review some of the most useful identity and access management solutions on the market, and explore how enterprises can achieve even better data protection by pairing IAM with privileged access management (PAM).
Definition and Importance of IAM
IAM is a framework that helps ensure that the right individuals have access to the appropriate resources at the right times for the right reasons. It involves policies, processes and technologies for managing and securing digital identities. By controlling user access, identity and access management software helps organizations mitigate security risks, improve operational efficiency and enhance the user experience.
Key Concepts in IAM
Several key concepts form the foundation of IAM:
Authentication — Verifying user identities or systems
Authorization — Granting or denying access to resources based on user roles and permissions
User management — Handling user accounts, including creation, maintenance, and deactivation
Access control — Implementing policies to ensure users have the right level of access to resources
Audit and compliance — Monitoring and reporting on access activities to ensure compliance with policies and regulations
IAM Components and Features
When evaluating identity and access management solutions, be sure to look for the following features:
Centralized user management — Being able to manage identities, roles and access privileges from a central console simplifies management and helps ensure accuracy. Check that the tool supports all of the identity platforms you use, such as Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Microsoft Azure AD), LDAP and Google Workspace.
Authentication and single sign-on (SSO) — Look for an IAM solution that offers authentication methods beyond passwords, such as tokens and biometrics, as well as adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security. It should also enable users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials (single sign-on).
Flexible access controls — Be sure the tool provides granular control over user access to resources, making it easy to ensure that each user has access to only the data and systems necessary for their roles. Ideally, it should offer adaptive access policies that enable dynamic access decisions based on contextual factors such as user location, device and behavior.
User provisioning and identity lifecycle management — The solution should automate account provisioning, reprovisioning and deprovisioning. Automating these processes helps prevent serious security risks like permissions creep and orphaned accounts. Complete lifecycle management also includes changes that occur over the life of staff and should keep identities up to date reflecting information that comes from HR, managers, and projects for which they are working on.
Auditing, alerting and reporting — Solid IAM solutions provide continuous monitoring of user activity, alerts on suspicious behavior, detailed audit logs, and easy-to-read reports for both troubleshooting and compliance purposes.
Security features — Check for encryption of sensitive data, secure protocols for authentication and communication, and protection against common security threats like phishing and insider threats.
User self-service — Empowering users to manage certain aspects of their identities and access permissions, such as password resets and profile updates, can reduce user frustration and IT team overhead. In addition, managers should have the ability to review their direct reports and project participants.
Integration capabilities — To streamline even more workflows, look for an IAM solution that will easily integrate with your other systems and applications.
Scalability and performance — Be sure the solution can accommodate business growth by handling a large number of users and transactions without compromising performance or security.
