Definition
Access and Identity refers to the fundamental security principles of verifying who a user or system is and what they are allowed to do. It encompasses authentication, which confirms identity, and authorization, which grants specific permissions. This dual concept is crucial for protecting sensitive data and resources by ensuring only legitimate entities can access appropriate information and functions. For instance, a company uses access and identity controls to allow employees to log into their work accounts but restricts external access to only public facing websites. While often confused with simple password protection, access and identity is a broader framework encompassing multifactor authentication and granular role based access control. You will encounter this topic extensively on exams like CompTIA Security+ and CISSP.