Definition
Access Management is the process of ensuring that the right individuals have appropriate access to resources and systems, and that unauthorized individuals are prevented from gaining access. It involves establishing policies, procedures, and technologies to control who can access what information and when. This practice is crucial for maintaining data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, thereby protecting sensitive information from breaches and misuse. For instance, a company might use access management to grant specific employees read-only access to financial reports while allowing finance managers full editing capabilities. It is distinct from authentication, which merely verifies a user's identity, as access management then determines what that verified user is permitted to do. This concept is a core component of cybersecurity domains tested on certifications like CompTIA Security+ and CISSP.