Identity and Access Management (IAM): Everything you need to know (+examples)

Imagine Julie, a new recruit in your company.

Her first day starts badly: she hasn't yet received her work computer, her access to internal tools isn't configured, and she has to wait for hours before she can start work. After a few exchanges with the IT team and HR, nothing really moves forward. Her manager, pressed for time, decides to share her own login details via Slack, so that she can access the files and get to work quickly.

It goes faster, of course, but a few days later, a data leak is detected. Hastily shared logins and a connection from an unprotected computer enabled a hacker to access sensitive company data.

By trying to gain time, the company exposes itself to a major cybersecurity risk, with potentially disastrous consequences.

This is exactly the kind of situation thatIdentity Access Management (IAM ) can help avoid. In addition to guaranteeing access security, IAM ensures that each employee is granted the appropriate rights automatically, without any risky sharing of credentials or improvised steps. Julie's integration would have been seamless, secure and uncompromising for the company.

Between protecting sensitive data and simplifying onboarding processes, IAM has become an indispensable tool for businesses. Want to know how it works and why you need it? Follow the guide!

Identity and access management: what is it? 

To understand how an identity and access management (IAM ) system works, let's look at its main components:

1. Digital identity management :

Every employee in your company has a digital identity. Imagine that Julie, a new employee at your company, needs access to her computer, software like Microsoft Teams, and your CRM data. An IAM solution allows you to assign her a unique digital identity that she'll use for everything. No need for multiple accounts or different passwords for each application. It's this identity that will be used to connect to different applications or resources. This often includes a username, a password, and sometimes additional information such as :

‍Multifactor authentication(MFA) :

Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security. In addition to their password, users must provide a second factor, such as a code received by SMS or via a mobile application.

Example: If someone tries to access an account with Julie's password, they won't be able to log in without the code sent to their phone.

Single sign-on (SSO) :

Withsingle sign-on (SSO), a user can access all his or her applications after a single login.

Example: Julie logs in to Okta once, and can then access all her applications (Teams, Salesforce, Gmail...) without logging in again.

2. Managing users and access rights :

Once the identity has been created, we need to ensure that Julie only has access to the resources she needs to do her job. IAM makes it possible to assign roles or rights according to the user's function. Julie will thus have access to her tools, but not to sensitive management data.

Example: With an IAM system, you can define predefined roles for each function in the company. The system knows that Julie, as marketing manager, will need Salesforce, but will not need access to the financial servers.

Note on privileged access management (PAM) :

High-privilege accounts (administrators, managers) represent a high risk. Privileged Access Management (PAM ) enables you to secure these critical accounts with additional controls. It's an additional dimension within the access rights management framework that you can manage on a daily basis to avoid any risk of data leakage.

3. Identity and access management platform :

Identity and access management solutions allow you to centralize identity and access management. These tools automatically manage authorizations, access rights and even authentications for all company applications.

Case in point: in a company using Azure AD, each new employee is automatically given access to the tools he or she needs according to their position, without having to configure everything manually for each individual.

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Can I automate identity and access management?

Absolutely, and it's one of the greatest advantages of modern IAM solutions. Automating identity and access management not only saves time, it also improves your company's security and compliance. Indeed, every manual process for creating, deleting or modifying access exposes you to the risk of human error and delays. Automation eliminates these risks by applying pre-configured rules at every stage of an employee or external user's lifecycle.

At rzilient, implementing these automations is at the heart of our offer. Here's how it works:

1.automatic access provisioning: as soon as a new employee like Julie joins the company, a well-configured IAM system automatically assigns her the necessary accesses according to her position. There's no need to go through HR or IT to grant her access manually. She receives the right permissions for her role from day one.

2.role-based access management (RBAC): each employee is assigned a defined role (e.g. "Marketing", "HR", "Finance") which determines the access available. This ensures that Julie only has access to the tools and data relevant to her job, reducing the risk of accidental data leaks.

3Automatic de-provisioning: When Julie leaves the company or changes jobs, her access rights are immediately revoked or adjusted, ensuring that her old access rights do not persist. This avoids potential vulnerabilities linked to unused but still active accounts.

4.real-time access updates: if the company integrates new applications or modifies security rules, access rights are automatically updated for all relevant employees, without the need for manual intervention for each user.

5Automatic security audits: IAM systems can perform regular audits to ensure that employees only have access to the resources they need. If unnecessary access is detected, it can be revoked automatically. This enables the company to maintain an environment compliant with regulations such as RGPD or ISO27001.

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In short, automating identity and access management simplifies day-to-day administration, secures systems by limiting human error, and improves responsiveness. Your IT team can concentrate on higher value-added tasks, while IAM automatically manages employee access rights according to their roles and responsibilities.

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Plus: the rzilient platform integrates automatically with your HRIS, enabling us to effortlessly detect planned arrivals and departures in your organization. As a result, HR and IT teams can work more smoothly together, ensuring optimum management of on- and off-boarding.

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Want to find out more? Request a demo now!

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Why automate identity and access management in my company?

The importance of IAM goes beyond access management. Let's see why it's essential for businesses.

1. Data security :

Without a good IAM system, it becomes very difficult to protect sensitive information. If an employee gains access to data he or she shouldn't see, or if a hacker manages to infiltrate using stolen credentials, the consequences can be disastrous. So, when an employee leaves, you can systematically suspend access to private and sensitive internal data.

2. Compliance and regulations :

With regulations such as ISO27001it is crucial to prove that only authorized users can access certain data. IAM solutions make it possible to track and record all user actions.

3. Productivity and efficiency :

A good IAM solution doesn't just secure access. It also makes life easier for users! No more juggling dozens of passwords and logins.Single sign-on (SSO ) allows users to log in once to access all their applications. And for HR and IT teams, it's one less time-consuming task to do on a daily basis.

4. Savings on your license :

By automating the opening and closing of access to your applications and software, you avoid paying for licenses in the wind following the departure of an employee.

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How can I implement these automations in my organization?

Integrating an identity and access management (IAM) solution may seem complex, but with rzilient, you're in good hands. We understand that every company has unique needs, and our approach is designed to fit your specific requirements. Here's how we go about it, step by step, to make the transition simple, smooth and secure:

1.personalized needs assessment :

First and foremost, we work with you to carry out a thorough assessment of your needs. What types of sensitive data need to be protected? Which users, internal or external, will have access to which resources? We identify potential areas of risk and define the precise objectives of the IAM solution to ensure optimum protection of your environment.

2Choosing the right IAM solution :

At rzilient, we'll help you choose the right IAM solution for your needs. We ensure that the solution integrates easily with your existing systems, offers robust, centralized authentication, and is scalable to support your company's growth.

3.customized implementation and support :

Don't panic, rzilient takes care of everything. Our team takes care of the complete integration of the IAM solution, ensuring a smooth transition. We test the solution with a restricted group of users before the global roll-out, and offer customized training to ensure that every member of your team quickly masters the new tools.

With rzilient, you're assured of a progressive, efficient and above all secure implementation. You don't need to be a technology expert: our teams are here to guide you every step of the way. To find out more, make an appointment now with one of our IAM experts, and discover how we can simplify and secure access management in your organization.

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‍Schedule anappointment with one of our experts today.

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Conclusion

Identity and access management has become a top priority for companies seeking to secure their data and improve productivity. With the right IAM solutions in place, you can protect your systems, simplify your users' lives and comply with the most stringent regulations.

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