Identity access management (IAM) also known as identity management (IdM) is a set of technological framework in a business entity, that allows only authorized users to access certain information from the company server which is only associated to their area of work in the firm. IAM ensures that only authorized personnel can access company data and electronics. This mean that each individual role in the company is identified and access to company data can be authorized based on that role. There IAM does not only restrict access to company date but also hardware that each employee need to access. Being under General IT security, identity access management is a regulatory requirement for companies. This ensures that information from the company is not accessible to authorized individuals and hence cannot be misused. Identity and access management rangers from passwords, firewall on the server, access codes and cards and biometric sign-in among others. The main aim of IAM is to protect company data from unauthorized and malicious individual. This in turn prevents losses and helps keep the data safe for future reference.
Reasons Why you Need Identity Access Management in your Company
IAM is more than log in passwords. It is a puzzle that keeps your business smoothly. If not managed well, IAM may not only result to non-compliance rules but also irreversible damages can be experienced in your business, both from internal and external. The following are reasons why you should have IAM;
- Data security – in the world we live today many malicious people breach the security of a company daily. Having IAM makes your data secure not only from outside the business but also inside.
- Protecting customers’ information – hackers can easily access the company email address if a good and effective IAM is not employed. Protecting customers information with a proper IAM installs trust in them and hence you can retain them for as long as possible.
- Keeping up with the trends – changes are witnessed every day in the technological world. These changes call for new methods of data management. Since the outdated security methods get prone to hacking you are advised to have an IAM that can change with the technological changes.
- IAM makes life easier for your employees – if employees that can access a certain gadget are assigned to it through IAM, it makes it easier for them to use it without interaction. Also, when you take departments like payroll, biometric data is used to register human capital and this make work easier.
What IAM should include
The IAM should include the following;
- All functions of authentication and authorization – this means that only authorized individuals should access the company data.
- Work flow management – this ensures no work is interrupted.
- Password management – generating and retrieving passwords.
- Audit and compliance – if audited by external firms it should comply with laws and regulations set.
IAM products and their functionality
- Access control – this is the selective restriction of company data. The authorization to access is based on the individual’s task in the company.
- Work flow – a good IAM should allow easy work flow i.e. repetitive patterns without failure.
- Access control based n roles – the role of your employee should determine the position they hold in accessing company’s data according to a good IAM.
- Risk management – IAM manages all the security risks and raises alarm when security is being breached.
- Password manager – this is a feature that allows IAM to generate complex passwords. It can also retrieve them as well as storing them in an encrypted database when necessary.