Identity and Access Management: Complete Guide

Control who can access what in your systems through robust IAM practices.

Core Concepts

Authentication: Verify identity (who you are) Authorization: Determine permissions (what you can do) Identity Governance: Manage lifecycle, access reviews, compliance

Authentication Methods

Passwords: 12+ chars, complexity, managers, breach monitoring MFA: Something you know + have + are, required for all users, priority for admins Biometrics: Fingerprint, face recognition, risk-based authentication Passwordless: FIDO2, WebAuthn, magic links, push notifications

Authorization Models

RBAC: Role-based—assign permissions to roles, users to roles, easier management ABAC: Attribute-based—context-aware decisions, fine-grained control, complex policies PBAC: Policy-based—centralized rules, dynamic decisions, flexible

Identity Providers

Enterprise: Azure AD, Okta, Ping Identity, Auth0 Open Source: Keycloak, FreeIPA, Gluu Features: SSO, federation, MFA, user provisioning

Access Control

Least Privilege: Minimum necessary permissions, start with nothing, add as needed Just-in-Time: Temporary elevation, approval workflows, time-limited, audit all Separation of Duties: Prevent conflicts of interest, require multiple approvals Access Reviews: Quarterly reviews, auto-removal of unused, manager attestation

Privileged Access

Separate Accounts: Admin accounts distinct from regular PAM Solutions: CyberArk, BeyondTrust, credential vaulting Session Monitoring: Recording, keystroke logging, real-time alerts Break-Glass: Emergency access procedures, heavily audited

Federation & SSO

SAML: Enterprise SSO, assertion-based, XML OIDC: Modern auth, JSON Web Tokens, mobile-friendly Benefits: Centralized auth, reduced password fatigue, better security

Identity Lifecycle

Provisioning: Automated onboarding, role-based templates, approval workflows Modification: Access changes, role updates, temporary access Deprovisioning: Automated offboarding, immediate access removal, reassign ownership

Directory Services

Active Directory: On-prem standard, Group Policy, Kerberos Azure AD: Cloud directory, SaaS integration, conditional access LDAP: Lightweight protocol, cross-platform, legacy support

API & Service Accounts

Service Principals: App identities, certificate-based, rotating credentials API Keys: Short-lived tokens, scope-limited, secret management OAuth 2.0: Delegated access, scopes, refresh tokens

Compliance

Certifications: Regular access certification campaigns Audit Logs: Who accessed what, when, from where Segregation: Financial systems, PCI, HIPAA requirements

Monitoring

Failed Logins: Brute force detection, account lockout Anomalous Access: Impossible travel, unusual time/location Privilege Escalation: Unexpected permission changes Dormant Accounts: Unused accounts, stale credentials

Best Practices

1. MFA everywhere
2. Least privilege by default
3. Regular access reviews
4. Automated lifecycle management
5. Centralized identity provider
6. Federation over passwords
7. Monitor privileged access
8. Deprovisioning automation

Tools

IDaaS: Okta, Azure AD, Auth0, OneLogin PAM: CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Delinea IGA: SailPoint, Saviynt, One Identity

Bottom Line

Strong IAM is foundational to security. Implement MFA, least privilege, and automation while monitoring continuously for anomalous access.