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What is Identity Access Management?

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What is Identity Access Management?

IAM is a set of processes, policies and tools that enables management, control and assurance of digital identities. IAM technologies provide the ability to store identity and profile data securely and govern identity data so that only necessary and relevant information is shared as needed. IT staff can manage and control end-user access to information and resources within their organizations by employing a proper IAM framework.

IAM systems can be deployed as on-premises physical or virtual appliances or as virtual appliances hosted in a public cloud.

They can also be provided “as-a-service” through a cloud-based subscription model. Another possibility is deployment in a hybrid mode, where some of the IAM function is hosted on-prem and some in the cloud.

IAM fundamentally provides for and/or enables functions for:

  • How identities are represented, generated, maintained, and authenticated in a system

  • How roles are defined in a system and how they are assigned to individuals and groups

  • Adding, removing, and updating identities and their roles in a system

  • Assigning access controls to identities or groups of identities, and

  • Protecting the sensitive data within the system and securing the system itself.

Intended audience

Mid-level network and security architects in companies of all sizes and verticals should find this guide helpful.

About this guide

This guide aims to provide a broad overview of IAM concepts and introduce products in the Fortinet portfolio that work together to implement a scalable IAM solution.

Industry-standard terminologies are introduced to Fortinet-specific terms, concepts, and technologies. Readers can proceed to the IAM Architecture and IAM Deployment guides when they are familiar with the concept and terminology and are ready to explore different designs to use in their environment.

What is Identity Access Management?

IAM is a set of processes, policies and tools that enables management, control and assurance of digital identities. IAM technologies provide the ability to store identity and profile data securely and govern identity data so that only necessary and relevant information is shared as needed. IT staff can manage and control end-user access to information and resources within their organizations by employing a proper IAM framework.

IAM systems can be deployed as on-premises physical or virtual appliances or as virtual appliances hosted in a public cloud.

They can also be provided “as-a-service” through a cloud-based subscription model. Another possibility is deployment in a hybrid mode, where some of the IAM function is hosted on-prem and some in the cloud.

IAM fundamentally provides for and/or enables functions for:

  • How identities are represented, generated, maintained, and authenticated in a system

  • How roles are defined in a system and how they are assigned to individuals and groups

  • Adding, removing, and updating identities and their roles in a system

  • Assigning access controls to identities or groups of identities, and

  • Protecting the sensitive data within the system and securing the system itself.

Intended audience

Mid-level network and security architects in companies of all sizes and verticals should find this guide helpful.

About this guide

This guide aims to provide a broad overview of IAM concepts and introduce products in the Fortinet portfolio that work together to implement a scalable IAM solution.

Industry-standard terminologies are introduced to Fortinet-specific terms, concepts, and technologies. Readers can proceed to the IAM Architecture and IAM Deployment guides when they are familiar with the concept and terminology and are ready to explore different designs to use in their environment.