Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, principles, authentication methods, and authorization models of Identity and Access Management (IAM).

Principle of least privilege

A fundamental security principle in which a user is only granted the minimum level of access and authorization required to complete a task or function.

Separation of duties

A security principle (also referred to as segregation of duties) stating that users should not be given levels of authorization that would allow them to misuse a system, dividing responsibilities among multiple people to prevent any one person from having too much control.

Identity and access management (IAM)

A collection of processes and technologies that helps organizations manage digital identities in their environment by authenticating users, determining their access privileges, and tracking their activities within a system.

User (IAM definition)

An entity attempting to access organizational resources, which can be a person, a device, or software.

Authentication factors

The three elements used to verify a user's identity: knowledge (something the user knows), ownership (something the user possesses), and characteristic (something the user is).

Single sign-on (SSO)

A technology that combines several different logins into one single login.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

A security measure that requires a user to verify their identity in two or more ways to access a system or network.

User provisioning

The process of creating and maintaining a user's digital identity and configuring their access privileges.

Deprovisioning

The practice of removing a user's access rights when they should no longer have them.

Mandatory access control (MAC)

The strictest authorization framework (also known as non-discretionary control), where access is granted on a strict need-to-know basis manually by a central authority or system administrator rather than by data owners.

Discretionary access control (DAC)

An access control framework applied when a data owner directly decides and manages the appropriate levels of access for other users.

Role-based access control (RBAC)

An access control framework used when authorization is determined by a user's role within an organization rather than by individual discretion.

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