Identity and access management helps businesses regulate access to mission-critical data and applications. Learn more about the four parts of identity and access management and explore the tools you might use as a professional in this field.
The rapid shift to remote work and the growing reliance on cloud computing presents new challenges for businesses securing and managing access to widely distributed data and applications.
With resources spread across both on-premise systems and cloud environments, tracking access becomes increasingly complex. This gap in oversight puts organizations at risk of cyberattacks, insider threats, and data breaches.
Identity and access management solutions help mitigate these risks by providing a centralized framework for controlling and monitoring access to corporate resources. Learn more about identity and access management, including its primary components and tools and the career paths you can pursue in this field.
Identity and access management (IAM) is a set of technologies, processes, and policies that aid organizations in governing digital identities. Beyond user identity management, IAM helps businesses regulate access to sensitive data and systems.
Typically, IAM platforms facilitate identity management for clients, employees, or a combination of both. Some platforms may also issue digital identities for applications or services, ensuring users only access permitted applications.
IAM can serve as a shield against a wide range of cyberattacks, including credential stuffing, brute force attacks, and phishing. IAM frameworks defend against attacks that exploit stolen or compromised account credentials. IAM systems can proactively identify and neutralize threats when paired with artificial intelligence. More advanced IAM platforms allow businesses to fine-tune user permissions by setting conditions on the time and location of access.
While IAM systems can take different forms, most contain four essential components: user management, authentication, authorization, and identity governance.
User management in IAM systems handles creating, modifying, and removing user profiles and access privileges. This component serves as the foundation for authentication and authorization. A user profile often includes the user’s name, login details, job title, and assigned access privileges.
The authentication component verifies a device or user's identity by requesting a unique identifier or credential. While straightforward and convenient, the traditional username and password combination offers minimal security. Most IAM platforms integrate enhanced security features, such as multifactor authentication and single sign-on, to address this.
While authentication verifies who the user is, authorization sets the boundaries within which the user can act. These boundaries are typically established through methods like role-based access control, where permissions are granted based on the user’s role, and attribute-based access control, which determines access based on specific organizational attributes such as the department a user belongs to.
Identity governance involves monitoring access rights to prevent privilege misuse. The identity governance unit facilitates the creation of audit trails, helping firms demonstrate their adherence to compliance policies.
The IAM sector is rapidly advancing. The global IAM market is set to reach $43.1 billion by 2029 [1]. If you're considering a career in this field, familiarizing yourself with enterprise-grade IAM tools can help you gain a competitive edge.
The following are examples of some IAM solutions available through Amazon, Google, and IBM:
IAM by Amazon Web Services (AWS) enables you to manage identities within a single AWS account or link them across multiple accounts. The tool also supports granting temporary security credentials for workloads accessing AWS resources. You may also choose to set granular permissions based on user attributes such as department and position.
Google Cloud IAM allows you to define and manage permissions for resources within the Google Cloud platform. Specifically, the tool helps integrate access control for all Google Cloud services into a single system. Additionally, based on machine learning, the “recommender” feature offers you smart access control recommendations.
IBM Cloud IAM helps you streamline user authentication and access control across all resources on the IBM Cloud platform. By assigning actions to specific roles, you can ensure users only perform tasks associated with their designated roles. You may also choose to set time-based conditions within access policies, allowing temporary or scheduled access to resources.
The demand for information security talent is steadily rising. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33 percent growth in employment opportunities for information security analysts between 2023 and 2033 [2]. Should IAM be your area of interest, the following information security roles could align perfectly with your career goals:
Average annual salary: $86,419 [3]
Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, or a relevant field
As an IAM analyst, you’ll likely manage users' access rights and identities inside and outside an organization. The role also involves keeping the IAM system current with the changing needs of your organization. Additionally, you may assist in documenting your firm’s IAM processes and workflows.
Average annual salary: $96,132 [4]
Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, or a similar field
In your role as an IAM engineer, you take charge of designing and implementing IAM technologies. You could also perform risk evaluations and support the development of security controls to protect sensitive data. Furthermore, you may troubleshoot security issues within your firm’s IAM system.
Average annual salary: $133,251 [5]
Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or an equivalent field, along with considerable hands-on experience with diverse IAM platforms
As an IAM architect, you'll lead the development of your organization's IAM strategy, ensuring it integrates well with other systems and meets all necessary security and compliance regulations. You may also perform situational analyses and software testing to ensure robust security.
Average annual salary: $114,669 [6]
Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information systems security, or a related field
As an IAM consultant, you provide expert advice to organizations on how to manage their access environment effectively. This can involve recommending appropriate access control strategies, identifying system weaknesses, supporting the rollout of new IAM policies, and more.
Read more: What Is a Bachelor’s Degree? Requirements, Costs, and More
IAM helps strengthen an organization’s cybersecurity stance by offering a framework for minimizing unauthorized access, among other threats. Explore this security discipline further with the Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate from IBM on Coursera. Learning outcomes for this professional certificate include managing database vulnerabilities, using generative artificial intelligence to improve your productivity as a cybersecurity analyst, and using cybersecurity tools to respond to incidents.
You may also consider enrolling in IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization. Offered by IBM, this four-course program covers key cybersecurity tools and processes, database vulnerabilities, and the basics of networking.
Statista. “Market value of Identity and Access Management (IAM) in 2022 and 2029, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1445717/global-identity-and-access-management-market-value/.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Information Security Analysts, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Identity And Access Management Analyst Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/identity-and-access-management-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,38.htm.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Iam Engineer Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/iam-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,12.htm.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Iam Architect Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/iam-architect-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Iam Consultant Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/iam-consultant-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm.” Accessed February 3, 2025.
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