IAM DAY 1 Describe identity concepts

What is IAM?

Managing identities and controlling access to resources

What is an identity?

A user, device, or system that can be authenticated

What is Microsoft Entra ID?

A cloud-based identity and access management service

What is a directory?

A database that stores identities and their information

What is authentication?

The process of verifying who you are

What is authorization?

The process of determining what you can access

Authentication vs Authorization

Authentication verifies identity while authorization determines access

What is MFA?

Multi-Factor Authentication requiring multiple forms of verification

What is a tenant in Entra ID?

A dedicated instance of Entra ID for an organization

What is a user in Entra ID?

An identity that represents a person or service

What is access control?

The process of granting or restricting access to resources

Why is IAM important?

It protects resources by ensuring only the right identities have access

What is federation?

A trust relationship that allows identities from one system to access another

What is SSO?

Single Sign-On allowing access to multiple systems with one login

On-premise (on-prem)

Systems that are hosted and managed inside a company’s physical location

What is cloud computing?

Services hosted on the internet instead of local servers

On-premise vs cloud

On-premise is managed locally while cloud is managed by a provider and accessible online

What is Active Directory (AD DS)

On-premise identity system used to manage users and access in a local network

What is a limitation of on-premise systems?

Limited remote access and requires VPN for external access

Why are companies moving to the cloud?

To enable remote access, scalability, and modern authentication

What is VPN in IAM context?

A secure connection that allows remote users to access on-premise systems

What is modern authentication?

Authentication methods like MFA, SSO, OAuth that improve security and flexibility