The Foundations of IAM

Previously I discussed the essential pre-onboarding questions for a new IdP (Identity Provider) vendor. In that conversation, I mentioned crucial terms that form the foundation of IAM (Identity Access Management): IGA (Identity Governance and Administration), AM (Access Management), PAM (Privileged Access Management), and ADMgmt (Active Directory Management).

For clarity, here's a brief overview of each:

- IGA: Focuses on managing users' identities and access within your organization.

- AM: Handles user access to applications, data, and systems.

- PAM: Involves tools and procedures to enforce specialized access for privileged accounts.

- ADMgmt: Manages Microsoft Active Directory (AD) identities and access, if relevant to your workplace.

If you seek a detailed understanding of these concepts and their distinctions, One Identity has an insightful guide available for reference: https://www.oneidentity.com/the-four-pillars-of-iam/