Identity and Access Management – Password protection is history.
»Identity and Access Management« (IAM) is the administration of user accounts and access authorisations. Nowadays, every company often has several IAM systems in use without referring to them as such. This can be an SAP system, an ERP system or simply an Active Directoy.
In these systems, individual authorisations are often assigned manually. However, this decentralised approach not only entails high administrative costs, but also significant security risks:
- Efficiency – Relieving the burden on IT through fast onboarding and offboarding of employees
- Compliance – Compliance with legal, contractual or internal company regulations
- Transparency – Holistic monitoring and control with audit-proof audit log
- Security – Minimising security risks from unauthorised access to resources
- Single Sign-On – Central multi-factor authentication
- Access control – Workflow-based application for access rights, e.g. 4-eyes principle
- Interoperability – Fast and uncomplicated integration of new applications into an existing system landscape
Many companies are aware of the importance of a central IAM system. However, the introduction of such a system is often mistakenly associated with high complexity and therefore postponed. However, this does not have to be the case: For example, it makes sense to introduce an IAM system in stages. Already in the conception phase, there are practical tools that, for example, relieve the burden immensely in the elaboration and consolidation of a role model and thus enable a transparent overview of the role and rights structure of a company.