IAM (Identity and Access Management)
Identity and Access Management
A system for verifying who can access which systems or resources, and managing what actions they're allowed to take.
In Simple Terms
IAM works like a set of rules that decide what specific people are allowed to do within a system. For example, a company might use it to divide permissions by role — new employees can only view data, while managers can also delete it. Cloud services work the same way: it's common to manage users by group or role, letting the development team change server settings while sales staff can only view customer data. This helps prevent people without the right permissions from changing important settings or leaking sensitive information.
Behind the Name
IAM is short for Identity and Access Management — it's simply the combination of those three English words: Identity, Access, and Management.
Take a Closer Look!
IAM is a system used on computers and cloud services to verify who a user is, and then manage what that person is allowed to do with information. It's used to prevent data leaks and unauthorized actions by making it clear who in an organization can access which data.
This creates an environment where people can use various services safely.
Broadly speaking, IAM consists of two steps: authentication, which confirms who someone is, and authorization, which determines what they're allowed to do. To put it simply, having a house key that lets you inside is authentication, while deciding whether you're allowed to watch TV or open the fridge once you're inside is authorization.
In environments where multiple users share a system, keeping a record of who performed which actions is an essential part of management.
Setting up IAM properly makes it possible to immediately disable the account of someone who has left the company, and reduces the risk of accidentally deleting important data. It's built on the principle of least privilege — giving each person only the access they need, and nothing more.
In network environments where systems can be accessed from anywhere, proper identity management and access control serve as the central mechanism for maintaining security.