How would you define Identity & Access Management (IAM)?
Identity and access management is one of the key elements of cybersecurity. Basically, it controls who can enter, what they can access and with what level of permissions, all within an organisation. Its function is to protect the ‘doors’ through which users and/or employees access the most sensitive systems and data.
In a world where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, having a good IAM strategy is not optional, it is a virtually essential layer of defence.
What are its key components?
The key aspects of IAM are as follows:
- Identity management. This focuses on creating, maintaining and deleting the digital identities of employees and users. In other words, managing the ‘who’s who’ within the company.
- Access management. This defines what each user can do, which systems they can access and under what conditions. This involves aspects such as permissions, roles and applicable policies.
- Privileged access management. This protects accounts with greater permissions (mainly administrators), as they are the most valuable to attackers.
- Identity governance. This is responsible for reviewing and auditing access to ensure that each user has the permissions they really need, applying the principle of least privilege.
What are the benefits?
Implementing an IAM tool brings advantages at both the technical and administrative levels:
- It facilitates user and access management, significantly reducing the workload of the IT team.
- It increases security, preventing unauthorised access or information leaks.
- It helps to comply with regulations and audits.
- It improves the employee experience, thanks to mechanisms such as single sign-on (SSO) and second authentication factors.
Why is it so important?
Access is the gateway to a company’s entire digital infrastructure. If these ‘doors’ are not well protected (e.g., with weak passwords or no second authentication factor), an attacker can take advantage of this to infiltrate and steal information.
A good IAM system acts as a lock that not only prevents unauthorised access, but also anticipates and detects unusual behaviour, allowing it to be blocked in time.
How does this relate to cybersecurity?
Identity and access management is one of the pillars of cybersecurity. There is no point in having a firewall or antivirus software if anyone can enter with insecure or compromised credentials. Controlling who accesses the system, from where and with what permissions is the basis for securing any company.
What professional profiles are dedicated to this field?
The type of profile that works in this branch of cybersecurity usually has a technical and analytical background, with training in IT, networks or security. And beyond the technical aspects, what are known as ‘soft skills’ are highly valued: analytical skills, attention to detail and critical thinking, because much of the work involves anticipating risks and preventing human error.
What role can the development of new technologies play in IAM?
AI can be a very good asset in IAM. Detecting anomalous behaviour in users is essential for detecting identity theft.
