Introduction

Identity and access management provides control over user validation and resource access. Commonly known as IAM, this technology ensures that the ****right people access the right digital resources at the right time and for the right reasons.

• A digital resource is any combination of applications and data in a computer system. Examples of digital resources include web applications, APIs, platforms, devices, or databases.
• The core of IAM is identity. Someone wants access to your resource.
• In IAM, a user account is a digital identity. It can also represent non-humans, such as software, Internet of Things devices, or robotics.
• Authentication: It is the process of verifying identity, who a user is. (401 Unauthorized)
• Authorization: It is the process of verifying what they have access to, verifying permissions. (403 Forbidden)

Identity and access management gives you control over user validation and resource access:

• How users become a part of your system
• What user information to store
• How users can prove their identity
• When and how often users must prove their identity
• The experience of proving identity
• Who can and cannot access different resources

<aside> 💡 Identity and access management is not one clearly defined system. IAM is a discipline and a type of framework for solving the challenge of secure access to digital resources. There’s no limit to the different approaches for implementing an IAM system.

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Authentication VS Authorization

Access to a resource is protected by both authentication and authorization.

Authentication on Web