Definition
Identity and Access Management, or IAM, is the security practice of ensuring that the right individuals and systems have appropriate access to resources. It establishes and manages digital identities for users and services, then defines what actions those identities are permitted to perform. IAM systems work by authenticating users or services to verify their identity and then authorizing them based on predefined policies. This is crucial for protecting sensitive data and systems from unauthorized access and misuse. For instance, an IAM policy might allow a specific developer role read-only access to a particular database but prevent them from making changes. IAM is distinct from authentication alone, which only verifies identity, whereas IAM also governs permissions. You will encounter IAM concepts on the CompTIA Security+ and AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exams, as well as in Accumentum cloud security training.