An Identity Access Management (IAM) system facilitates electronic identity management. The framework includes the necessary technology to support identity management in the cloud.

IAM technology can be used to initiate, capture, record, and manage user identities and their corresponding access permissions automatically. This ensures that access privileges are granted according to an interpretation of policy, ensuring all individuals and services are properly authenticated and authorized for access. It is a vital part of cloud security.

Why You Need IAM Software

Maintaining the necessary flow of business data while also managing access has always required administrative attention and thus lots of time. And as the enterprise IT environment is constantly evolving, the challenges have only been increased by recent disruptive trends such as bring your device (BYOD), cloud computing, mobile applications, and an increasingly mobile workforce.

Additionally, there have been increased cases of cloud security data breaches as more and more devices and services are managed than ever before, with various associated requirements for access privileges.

With so much more to track as employees migrate through different roles within an organization, it becomes more challenging to manage identities and access. A common problem is that privileges are granted when the employee's duties change but access level escalation is not revoked when it is no longer needed.

In this situation, an employee garners excessive levels of privilege by gaining additional access to information as they change roles without their previous authorizations being revoked. This is known as 'privilege creep'.

This creates a security risk in two different ways. First, an employee with privileges beyond what is required can access applications and data in an unauthorized and potentially insecure way. Secondly, if an attacker gains access to a user's account with excessive privileges, they may do more damage than expected. Any of these scenarios can result in data loss or theft.

Usually, privilege accumulation is of little use to the employee or the organization. At best, it is convenient when the employee is asked to do unexpected tasks. On the other hand, it could make things much easier for an attacker to compromise company data due to over-privileged employees.

Poor access management also often leads to individuals retaining their privileges after they are no longer employed in the company.

One major constraint is that it can be challenging to get funding for IAM projects, as they don't directly increase profitability or functionality. This also happens with other cloud security applications such as with Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) software.

However, this lack of interest in security poses significant risks to compliance and an organization's overall security. These mismanagement issues increase the risk of further damage from both external and internal threats.

What Should an IAM Software Include?

IAM solutions must automate the initiation, capture, registration, and management of user identities and corresponding access permissions. Products must include a centralized directory service that scales as a business grows. This central directory prevents credentials from being randomly logged in files and sticky notes when employees try to cope with uploading multiple passwords to different systems.

IAM software should therefore make the process of user provisioning and account setup easy. The product should reduce the time required with a controlled workflow that reduces errors and potential abuse while allowing for automated accounting. IAM software should also allow administrators to view and change access rights instantly.

An access rights/privileges system within the central directory should automatically match employees' job title, location, and business unit ID to handle access requests automatically. These bits of information help classify access requests corresponding to existing worker positions.

Depending on the employee, some rights may be inherent to their role and provisioned automatically, while others may be permitted upon request. In some cases, the system may require some access revisions, while other requests may be denied altogether, except in the case of a waiver. Nevertheless, the IAM system should handle all variations automatically and appropriately.

An IAM software should establish workflows for managing access requests, with the option of multiple stages of reviews with approval requirements for each request. This mechanism can facilitate the establishment of different risk-appropriate review processes for higher-level access and a review of existing rights to prevent privilege creep.

What Are Some Popular IAM Providers?

Dell One Identity Manager combines ease of installation, configuration, and use. The system is compatible with Oracle and Microsoft SQL database systems. According to Dell, the self-service product is so easy to use that employees can manage all stages of the IAM lifecycle without requiring help from the IT department. The product range also includes Cloud Access Manager, which enables single sign-on capabilities for various web application access scenarios.

BIG-IP Access Policy Manager from F5 Networks has highly valued service and support. The software is part of the BIG-IP multilayer switching system, available on the appliance and virtualized systems. Policy Manager allows HTTPS access through all web browsers, saving time configuring workstations.

Tools4ever's SSRM (Self-Service Reset Password Management), is highly rated for easy installation, configuration, administration, and service. The tool allows administrators to create their own "Forgot Password" link for users and specify the number of security questions. This self-service password tool has been shown to reduce the need for password reset calls by up to 90 percent.

IBM Security Identity Manager is designed to be quick and easy to implement and compatible with other products. The software supports Microsoft Windows Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and IBM AIX and most common operating systems, email systems, ERP systems, and cloud applications such as Salesforce.com.

The included toolkit simplifies the integration of custom applications. The creation and modification of user privileges are automated through a rules-based system. Access rights can be added or removed for individual users based on changes in business functions automatically. It can also apply permissions for groups.

It is worth mentioning that some cloud security software includes IAM technologies. These include Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) which come with credential assignment and login for authentication, as well as profile creation and tokenization.

Are IAM Applications for You?

Poorly controlled IAM processes can lead to data leaks of confidential information and non-compliance cases.

For example, suppose your organization was audited and you didn't demonstrate that your organization's data is not at risk of being misused. In that case, the auditing authority might slap you with fines, potentially costing you a lot of money in the long run. Furthermore, an actual attack on your company that exploited poor IAM will lead to real damage to you and your clients.

While security requirements differ from company to company, you must keep your company and your customer's data safe from leaks. After all, your clients entrust their information to you, knowing you'll keep it safe from external threats.

However, one thing is guaranteed: investing in IAM software will protect you from insider threats and privacy breaches—saving you money and hassle in the long run.