Protecting sensitive company data is often one of the biggest concerns for any business owner. In the unfortunate event that digital access to an organization’s private data is compromised, there’s no telling what the repercussions could be. Hacking and corporate espionage are only two of the threats that loom in the absence of effective access control. But thanks to technological advancements, such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), businesses can rest easy.
IAM is a collective term, covering the intricate processes and policies that manage digital identities securely. This is also similar to Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM). If you're like most business owners, you might wonder what exactly are the Identity and Access Management roles and responsibilities? The key roles of this nifty system are to identify, authenticate, and authorize the users who access your business applications. Let’s explore these factors in greater detail.
If you want to learn more about IAM solutions, read more about Squareball’s Certified Partnership with Okta.
A data or security breach can occur if the wrong person is able to access information they shouldn't be privy to. It's not uncommon for unauthorized parties to get hold of critical and confidential information due to compromised log-in credentials. Sure, you could rely on your cybersecurity team or IT staff to keep tabs on which user accessed various parts of your internal systems. But that's an outdated approach, riddled with several pitfalls, including human error. Identity and Access Management solutions effectively identify users and then allow them to access only the parts of your business data that they’ve been given approval for.
This is made possible through the use of unique digital identities, in the form of usernames and passwords. While passwords are a great start, they're only responsible for half the job. Identity and Access Management systems use single sign on, two-factor, and multi-factor authentication as a way to protect the system. The IAM system also automatically identifies user roles within the system and assigns out what accessible areas accordingly.
After identifying which users can sign in to access certain company information, authorizing is the next step. Not all users can perform any task they desire after accessing your company database or resources. Depending on their level or role, some users can only see information, and it ends there. Others are permitted to not only view but create or change the information where necessary.
In essence, another of the pivotal roles of Identity and Access Management is to monitor, modify, or delete access privileges for users, as and when necessary. This is made possible by identifying users who access the system, through the use of access history.
User roles are always changing and new users need to be regularly registered on the system. That means access privileges are constantly changing among users. Identity and Access Management ensures access privileges are updated in real time to stay on top of any security breaches. This is made possible by the constant addition, removal, and updating of user roles in the system.
The whole point of identifying which user logs into a system, what tasks they can perform, and which privileges they can access, boils down to security. Companies are at an increased risk of security and data breaches from hackers, looking to get their hands on confidential information. Once your sensitive customer information, for example, ends up in the wrong hands, reputational damage may occur.
To avoid compromising your data security and ensuring that only authorized persons access relevant information, Identity and Access Management is the answer. Not only does IAM protect the data within the system, but also the system itself. The threat of internal and external data breaches is kept to a minimum or eliminated. In addition, with IAM, your business is better able to comply with government regulations that state that corporate information should be protected and not misused.
Identity and Access Management System is a must have for any business that’s serious about protecting its sensitive data. The scope of IAM stretches across various roles and responsibilities, with the chief goal being to keep private business data secure. At the same time, IAM monitors and controls what users can do once they access the system. The system is responsible for assigning and authorizing different roles for different users. Ultimately, the goal of IAM is to keep your company information fully secure.