TechDogs-"Identity And Access Management Software Explained"

IT Security

Identity And Access Management Software Explained

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Imagine you're at a military parade, where everyone from the naval forces to commandos to the coast guard has gathered. How would you distinguish someone in the armed forces from an air force pilot? Naturally, through their uniform! Every military unit has a distinctively unique uniform and apparel that helps them stand out. Furthermore, each branch has distinct ranks, such as colonel, major, or captain, who can be distinguished using the stripes and bars on their uniform.

By only allowing those with a certain rank to attend top-secret meetings, the military can limit access to sensitive information. Although, that pesky Ethan Hunt always finds a way! Anyway, what would happen if the military parade were a virtual event? Since there are no uniforms or bars or insignia in a digital space to distinguish or identify users, the organizers would face certain challenges. That's where an Identity and Access Management Software steps in! It helps you securely control access to critical resources by identifying and authorizing access to specific users.

Let's dive in to understand the what, why and how of Identity And Access Management (IAM) Software – except you Ethan Hunt!
TechDogs-"Identity And Access Management Software Explained"-Who Asked For Money, Hand Over Your Identity!
Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name?". Little did he realize that name and identity would be incredibly crucial in today's day and age. Take our smartphone for example; we have security options such as fingerprint scans, face detection or the good old security pin. Only when the correct credentials are entered do we get access to our smartphone’s applications. If someone else (Ethan Hunt, let’s say) gets access to our credentials, they may access our smartphone and steal financial data or misuse personal information. While this type of data loss is strictly personal information, organizations also deal with it, albeit on a much larger scale.

Organizations store massive amounts of sensitive data, including financial and customer data. Each role within the organization is predefined and only certain users get access to this data. However, bad actors can abuse these privileges through identity theft and unauthorized access. Identity and Access Management Software, popularly called IAM Software, is hence a critical tool in today's day and age when cyber-attacks and identity thefts on businesses are rising. An IAM Software becomes a must-have for any organization. This article explores IAM Software, laying out its basics, the requisite know-how and how it can help your business. Let's start by learning what IAM Software is. 


What Is IAM Software?


To quote Dwight Schrute from The Office, "Identity theft is not a joke… Millions of families suffer every year!” Similarly, identity theft can affect millions of businesses each year – from nascent start-ups to massive conglomerates. Hence, it is critical for every business to understand what Identity And Access Management (IAM) means. In a nutshell, IAM is all about framing policies that define and manage your employees' roles and access privileges. IAM Software enforces these policies like a bouncer who diligently verifies the identity of users within an organization's framework and only allows access to authenticated users.

IAM Software provides businesses with a verified user repository, role definition and authorization engine with single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, password management and audit trail. While IAM policies (set by you) decide which user role (admin, manager, employee) should have access to privileges, it is the software that ensures those guidelines are enforced. IAM Software is not limited to a system or specific data points. Access restrictions can be applied to Internet connections, specific websites, enterprise devices, software applications, etc. No, uninvited guests like Ethan Hunt in your workplace!

While we can't stress the importance of IAM Software enough, we wanted to dig deep into its history. We found it fascinating and we bet you will too!
 

The Evolution And Rise Of IAM Software


Identity is not a new concept; it has been around for ages. A person's name was their original identity, however, as we evolved, we invented titles that gave us certain privileges. If you have seen The Crown on Netflix, you might know that young Queen Elizabeth had certain rights owing to her title as the princess and heir apparent. The moment she ascended the throne as Queen, it gave her the highest privileges and rights. Extrapolating this historical reference, in organizations, titles such as CEO, CFO, CIO, VP, Directors, etc. each get certain rights and privileges.

In the beginning, businesses felt the need to have an identity management policy in place and Access Control Lists (ACLs) were developed as the earliest forms of digital identity management. The ACLs authenticated users based on unique identifiers such as username and password. These were matched against the database and access was provided if the user entered the correct combination. As organizations used multiple tools, systems and software, the IT security teams struggled to keep track of all logins, access rights and user directories, leading to an identity crisis. (pun intended!) Better IAM policies and frameworks were introduced to solve this.

Later, the concept of Single Sign-On (SSO) gained popularity as it enabled the user to authenticate their identity just once. They could access other systems within the organization without the hassle of providing login credentials each time. For example, if your organization used Microsoft, you could log in to Outlook, MS Teams and One Drive using the same credentials. However, this was not enough. IT security teams needed an application that could handle this process and provide authentication beyond mere recalling or resetting passwords. This necessity led to the birth of IAM Software. The new system allowed organizations to manage, organize and deliver identity and access in a better way. Not to mention making the life of IT teams a wee bit easier. Today, cloud-based IAM platforms are popular as they provide a sophisticated level of identity and access control with features such as real-time authorization and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and more.

Fascinating history there, right? Let's get back to the present and delve into how IAM Software works.
 

How Does IAM Software Work?


IAM Software can be deployed on-premises, through cloud-based subscription models or deployed as a hybrid model. The IAM Software typically works on the principle of identity, authentication and authorization. The software stores the user's details in its central repository, which allows all integrated applications and platforms to verify the details.

TechDogs-"How Does IAM Software Work?"-A Vector Image Showing A Man Carrying An Access Key With Himself
As users enter their credentials, they are validated with the database details and access is granted. The IAM Software ensures that each user gets access to IT resources as per their titles. For example, an HR manager can view the salary, leave status and appraisal details of employees but will not have access to the business’ customer data. The IAM Software hence helps in creating, monitoring and managing access privileges as per the defined policies. Another critical aspect of the software is the maintenance of audit logs and access history. The software sends alerts and notifications to the IT security team in case of unauthorized access or multiple attempts to log in from a user account.

Now that you have a fair idea of how IAM Software works, let's explore its features.
 

What Are The Features Of IAM Software?

 
As with many other things, IAM Software is not one-size-fits-all. Before investing in one, you must be aware of the critical features of an ideal IAM Software.
 
  • API Security

    A game-changer for IAM Software, API security empowers the software to be integrated with multiple enterprise and third-party solutions.

  • Risk-based Authentication

    This aspect allows the IAM Software to append a risk score to a user. High-risk users (access to sensitive data, database, etc.) can be allotted 2FA access (two-factor authentication) and low-risk users can be allowed to authenticate with a single factor (username & password).

  • Identity Analytics

    A must-have feature that enables IT security teams to identify and mitigate risky behaviors by applying appropriate algorithms and rules.

  • Identity Management And Compliance

    IAM Software provides a template to frame the identity life cycle. This helps in compliance with identity and privacy regulations.

  • Customer Identity And Access Management

    This feature allows complete end-to-end control and user authentication along with CRM, ERP and other customer database integration.

  • Identity As A Service

    A SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution which provides access management capabilities from web browsers to mobile applications.


With such awesome features, surely there must be a ton of benefits to be gained from IAM Software – read on to know more!
 

Benefits Of IAM Software


Some benefits that businesses can glean from integrating an IAM Software -
 
  • Top-notch Security

    IAM Software provides secure access and detailed verification of all identities and identifies potentially risky activities.

  • Simplifies Auditing And Reporting

    It helps organizations create and maintain audit logs, which are requisite for most data privacy and security management laws.

  • Easy Access To Users

    IAM Software allows users to connect with enterprise platforms securely and easily using SSO (Single Sign-On) capabilities.

  • Reduces IT Operating Costs

    IT teams can manage a complex web of identity, authentication and authorization management, thus significantly reducing administrative costs.

  • Increases Productivity

    Employees and IT security teams are empowered to carry out their tasks from anywhere, anytime, with minimum fuss.


Well, just as Ethan Hunt keeps getting better and better with each release of the Mission Impossible movies, the IAM solutions are not far behind either!
 

IAM Software Of The Future


TechDogs-"IAM Software Of The Future"-A Vector Image Showing An IAM Software With Latest Technologies
IAM as a concept itself is seeing an overhaul and the software cannot stay the same. We already have biometric identification that involves authentication via fingerprints, retinal scans, facial recognition and more. You see, passwords can be hacked but a person's biometric data cannot be stolen or changed. Moreover, blockchain technology will further enhance the audit trail to help organizations detect fraud more efficiently. With the advancement in SSO (Single Sign-On) solutions and Artificial Intelligence, IAM Software will soon emerge as one of the top software that a business needs to have in its arsenal.
 

Conclusion


IAM Software is a robust framework that helps businesses streamline access level of all stakeholders based on their internal security guidelines and policies. When companies deploy the right IAM solutions, they empower their IT security teams to monitor suspicious behavior proactively and mitigate the possibility of a data breach. Perhaps if evil organizations had better IAM Software in place, Ethan Hunt would not have been successful in walking in and stealing sensitive information. Just saying!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Identity And Access Management (IAM) Software?


Identity And Access Management (IAM) Software is a critical tool for organizations seeking to safeguard their sensitive data and mitigate the risks associated with unauthorized access and identity theft. In essence, IAM revolves around establishing and enforcing policies that govern employees' roles and access privileges within an organization. IAM Software acts as a digital bouncer, meticulously verifying users' identities and granting access only to authenticated individuals. With features such as single sign-on (SSO), password management, and audit trail capabilities, IAM Software provides businesses with a robust framework for managing user identities and access privileges across various systems and applications.

How does IAM Software work?


IAM Software operates on the principles of identity, authentication, and authorization. Users' details are stored in a centralized repository, allowing integrated applications and platforms to verify their identities. Upon entering their credentials, users are validated against the database, and access is granted based on predefined policies and roles. For example, an HR manager may have access to employee data but not customer information. IAM Software ensures that access privileges are aligned with organizational policies and monitors user activity to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts.

What are the key features of IAM Software?


IAM Software offers a range of features tailored to meet the complex security needs of modern organizations. Some critical features include API security for seamless integration with enterprise solutions, risk-based authentication to assign appropriate access levels based on user risk scores, identity analytics for detecting and mitigating risky behaviors, and identity management and compliance functionalities to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. Additionally, IAM Software may include customer identity and access management capabilities, identity as a service (IDaaS) solutions, and advanced authentication methods such as biometric identification. These features collectively contribute to enhancing security, simplifying access management, and reducing IT operating costs for businesses deploying IAM solutions.

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