Identity managements focus on establishing digital identities, it involves management of user profiles, account creation, modification and deletion while Access management involves controlling, regulating permissions and privileges linked to established digital identities, it specifies who has access to data or functionalities within a system. It ensures that the right individuals can access digital resources thereby preventing unauthorized access.
Identity Management defines roles and groups in an organization, these roles involve a range of responsibilities and access rights, providing a generalized framework for user categorization whereas Access Management takes a more detailed specific approach to control, it specifies precise permission and access restrictions for users, or groups based on their roles and responsibilities. Identity management establishes the role and Access management dictates specific data and access rights for employees based on their job roles.
Identity Management takes a user-centric approach by establishing and maintaining accurate digital profiles of users whereas Access Management adopts a user and resource-centric approach, emphasizing the assurance that the right users have the right access to the right resources.
Identity management ensures secure user Authentication process while Access Management guarantees that the authorized users have a tailored access to the resources they need, minimizing security gaps and preserving data integrity.
I agree with you on the distinction between identity management and access management, particularly the emphasis on how each plays a unique role in securing organizational resources. However, I would add that the dynamic nature of access needs also calls for a responsive system that can adapt permissions as roles and responsibilities evolve. Rigid access rules tied solely to static roles might overlook the need for temporary permissions, such as those required during project collaborations or emergency situations. By adopting a more flexible and context-aware access management approach, organizations can better support secure but agile operations.
Hi James
I agree with on the importance of a responsive system that can adapt permissions as roles and responsibilities evolve during project collaborations or emergency situations. however; some settings like government institutions and military will always prefer a system that strictly adhere to rules and policies to ensure only authorize people can access a system because of the level of sensitive information they protect.
Identity management is about verifying and managing the identities of users within an organization. It ensures that each user’s identity is established, authenticated, and maintained securely. It involves creating, updating, and managing user profiles, as well as verifying who someone is.
Access management, on the other hand, controls what users are allowed to do once their identity has been verified. It regulates permissions, granting or restricting access to specific resources based on the user’s role or needs.
Hey Christopher, your response is short and straight forward. A lot of times in the technology world people struggle to understand certain terms and definitions so I appreciate that you didn’t overcomplicate things and just said it how it is. However, one thing that I would add is that authorization may sometimes be granted to certain employees for a limited period of time, if they need it to complete specific work or a project.
The main difference between the identity and access management is who accessed resources vs what a user has access to. Using Temple University as an example; Students, faculty and staff are given unique identifiers under Temple’s domain. However, access is managed depending on the role you are assigned to. Students are given access to canvas and library resources but are not able to access other resources that are provided to professors, such as being able to see student’s grades within canvas. And teachers do not have access to see finances like staff in the financial department would have. Identity management can be seen as setting up a new student or faculty’s user account in the domain, assigning them an email address and creating their login credentials. Access management would be granting the students or faculty specific applications based on their role and ensuring that they do not have access to sensitive information unrelated to their role. Both are essential in ensuring that identities are properly managed, and that accesses are controlled appropriately.
I like your explanation of access restrictions. Students should not be able to see grades, and professors should only have access to what they need for teaching, without access to students’ financial details. This effectively shows how these systems enforce proper role-based access.
Both of these terms depict different levels in cybersecurity. To put it simply, Identity management authenticates users and access management authorizes users. In other words, identity management is about who you are, and access management is about what you are allowed to do.
Identity management involves managing a user’s digital identity. For example, when you are first onboarded to an organization, the IT team creates a profile for you, which includes attributes such as your name, role, department, and job location. You are also assigned a user ID, email address, and a temporary password. If any of these attributes change such as a role change, promotion, relocation, or a name change due to marriage, these updates are reflected in the system to ensure your digital identity remains accurate.
Access management determines whether a user is allowed to access certain company data or resources based on their job role or department. For example, a Service Desk Engineer, who is responsible for basic troubleshooting and user support, is granted permissions to reset user passwords and access the ticketing system. However, they are restricted from making changes to device configurations. On the other hand, a Desktop Engineer needs to perform more advanced tasks, such as installing software and configuring hardware. Therefore, access management grants the Desktop Engineer administrative permissions on user laptops and access to tools like SCCM for software deployment.
Hi Aisha
I liked how you explained the differences using real time situations especially pointing out the attributes of identity like name, role, department, and job location managed in Active Directory. Access management involves privileges like you explained using a service desk and a desktop engineer, i will also add that it determines who get permissions ( read, write, delete) on files and document.
Identity Management ensures that each device or user has a unique identity that can be accessed. Identity Management is mostly focused on managing creating and authenticating digital identities. Identity Management includes doing things like setting up an employee’s username and password, getting them started on multi-factor authentication, and managing user accounts. Aside from creating users accounts and authenticating users, Identify Management also includes organizing and storing users’ identities.
Access Managment focuses on what kind of tasks users are able to complete and the resources that they can access. Access Management is more security focused, it involves defining and enforcing permissions and policies to ensure users can only get access to what they are authorized for. Usually Access Management would do something along the lines of only allowing an employee to access files and applications that come from their department, this ensures that an employee does not have any access to sensitive data from another department or employees that they should not have access to.
I’d add that Identity Management and Access Management work well together through role-based access control, which connects user identities to specific roles. This way, employees automatically get the right level of access based on their job duties, keeping things secure without adding extra complexity. Have you seen examples of RBAC in action? It’s a smart approach to managing permissions effectively.
I have seen an iteration of RBA in action a few times, specifically with user groups. The groups are giving heightened access and roles that is needed for a user to function in that capacity. Users are then added/removed from the groups as needed, This method helps cut down on the amount of time it would take to revoke roles and cuts down on the action of mistakenly forgetting to remove certain roles if the user had many attributes.
Identity management verifies who a user is by managing digital identities and authentication, while access management regulates what authenticated users are allowed to do within a system. Identity management focuses on establishing credentials and confirming a user’s legitimacy, whereas access management enforces permissions and authorizations, ensuring users access only necessary resources.
Identity management and access management are different because of the roles they play in a company’s security framework. System user identities are established and verified by Identity Management. To make sure that only real people can log in, it includes building, keeping, and confirming a user’s digital identity. This includes processes like user registration, password management, and multi-factor authentication.
Access Management controls what authorized users can perform in the system. It is up to access management to decide which resources, files, or systems a user can access based on their job or level of license after their name has been proven. Identity management responds “Who are you?” whereas access management answers “What can you do?”
I agree with this distinction between identity management and access management. Identity management establishes a user’s identity, ensuring that only legitimate users are in the system, while access management defines what each verified user can access, aligning with their roles and responsibilities.
Identity management verifies a user’s identity, while access management controls what that user can do within a system. Identity focuses on authenticating user identity, while access determines permissions for data and applications. For Temple students like us, identity management involves verifying each student’s identity through unique credentials like TU Accessnets. This ensures that only verified students are recognized as members of the Temple community. Access management for Temple students determines what resources they can use. For instance, all students can register for courses; however, honors students and athletes have priority registration. They can register for courses a few days before the rest of the student body due to their honors indicator or athletic status.
Identity management is one of the prerequisites for a fully fleshed out access management system. It is what is used to determine the identity of someone who is operating within a system. While access management is able to function without identity management, for example using hostnames or IP addresses to grant access, in a modern environment that is not sufficient to protect from bad actors. Because of this verifying the identity of a logged on user, preferably using modern techniques such as physical access keys and 2FA, should be the basis used before granting those user access via access management.
Identity Management focuses on establishing and managing user identities within an organization to confirm that each individual is accurately identified. This process involves authentication systems, such as passwords, biometrics, or tokens, which are used to securely validate users identities before allowing them access to the system. Access Management centers on regulating and limiting access to resources and data according to users identities, roles, or permissions. This includes authorization processes that define what actions an authenticated user is permitted to take on specific resources, ensuring that each user can access only the data and systems relevant to their role.
Identity management refers to a digital identity. For example, an employee has specific attirbutes in their employer’s database that uniquely define them. This can be in HR systems, the date of birth, employee ID number, DL number, etc. Management of the user includes, creation, maintaining ane keeping up to date, and deleting as necessary. This differs from access management becasue access management refers to the access that the user has. For example, at my company I have specific access to certain systems based on my team. When I change teams, my identity won’t change but my access will. Management of access control includes adding, deleting, and maintaining based on specific needs.
You gave a great example that highlighted an important distinction between identity and access management. Identity management is all about maintaining a consistent and unique profile for each user within the organization, independent of their role or position. Access management, by contrast, is dynamic, adjusting a user’s permissions as their responsibilities change. This separation ensures that the organization can precisely control access while keeping identity records accurate and up to date.
Identity management ensures users are who they claim to be, while access management controls what those users are allowed to do within the system. Identity management establishes and maintains digital identities for users, that include information such as their role, permissions, and credentials and ensure data is accurate and up to date. Access management, on the other hand, focuses on determining and enforcing what resources a verified user can access once they are authenticated. It encompasses the rules and permissions that control which data or applications users can interact with, depending on their roles and the policies in place.
Going to be a bit pedantic here but I do think that it is an important point to make. I would claim that identity management isn’t verifying who someone claims to be, because the default state of a network is anonymous, it is identifying who someone is at all.
Identity management is simply the authentication of a user within an enterprise network against a stored database of identities. It is the arm that ensures that the credentials being used are valid and that it is indeed the user that is trying to access the system. Controls that support this would be Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and geolocation-based authentication.
Access management is simply the set of controls and countermeasures that maintain the authorization to information and tools. It ensures that credentialed users/groups, and tools are authorized to read or write information within a system. It aims to maintain the confidentiality of information and keep unauthorized individuals out.
The aim of Identity and Access Management (IAM) is to manage the authentication and authorization of users and groups against information systems.
Identity managements focus on establishing digital identities, it involves management of user profiles, account creation, modification and deletion while Access management involves controlling, regulating permissions and privileges linked to established digital identities, it specifies who has access to data or functionalities within a system. It ensures that the right individuals can access digital resources thereby preventing unauthorized access.
Identity Management defines roles and groups in an organization, these roles involve a range of responsibilities and access rights, providing a generalized framework for user categorization whereas Access Management takes a more detailed specific approach to control, it specifies precise permission and access restrictions for users, or groups based on their roles and responsibilities. Identity management establishes the role and Access management dictates specific data and access rights for employees based on their job roles.
Identity Management takes a user-centric approach by establishing and maintaining accurate digital profiles of users whereas Access Management adopts a user and resource-centric approach, emphasizing the assurance that the right users have the right access to the right resources.
Identity management ensures secure user Authentication process while Access Management guarantees that the authorized users have a tailored access to the resources they need, minimizing security gaps and preserving data integrity.
Hi Nelson,
I agree with you on the distinction between identity management and access management, particularly the emphasis on how each plays a unique role in securing organizational resources. However, I would add that the dynamic nature of access needs also calls for a responsive system that can adapt permissions as roles and responsibilities evolve. Rigid access rules tied solely to static roles might overlook the need for temporary permissions, such as those required during project collaborations or emergency situations. By adopting a more flexible and context-aware access management approach, organizations can better support secure but agile operations.
Hi James
I agree with on the importance of a responsive system that can adapt permissions as roles and responsibilities evolve during project collaborations or emergency situations. however; some settings like government institutions and military will always prefer a system that strictly adhere to rules and policies to ensure only authorize people can access a system because of the level of sensitive information they protect.
Identity management is about verifying and managing the identities of users within an organization. It ensures that each user’s identity is established, authenticated, and maintained securely. It involves creating, updating, and managing user profiles, as well as verifying who someone is.
Access management, on the other hand, controls what users are allowed to do once their identity has been verified. It regulates permissions, granting or restricting access to specific resources based on the user’s role or needs.
Hey Christopher, your response is short and straight forward. A lot of times in the technology world people struggle to understand certain terms and definitions so I appreciate that you didn’t overcomplicate things and just said it how it is. However, one thing that I would add is that authorization may sometimes be granted to certain employees for a limited period of time, if they need it to complete specific work or a project.
The main difference between the identity and access management is who accessed resources vs what a user has access to. Using Temple University as an example; Students, faculty and staff are given unique identifiers under Temple’s domain. However, access is managed depending on the role you are assigned to. Students are given access to canvas and library resources but are not able to access other resources that are provided to professors, such as being able to see student’s grades within canvas. And teachers do not have access to see finances like staff in the financial department would have. Identity management can be seen as setting up a new student or faculty’s user account in the domain, assigning them an email address and creating their login credentials. Access management would be granting the students or faculty specific applications based on their role and ensuring that they do not have access to sensitive information unrelated to their role. Both are essential in ensuring that identities are properly managed, and that accesses are controlled appropriately.
Hello Ericberto,
I like your explanation of access restrictions. Students should not be able to see grades, and professors should only have access to what they need for teaching, without access to students’ financial details. This effectively shows how these systems enforce proper role-based access.
Both of these terms depict different levels in cybersecurity. To put it simply, Identity management authenticates users and access management authorizes users. In other words, identity management is about who you are, and access management is about what you are allowed to do.
Identity management involves managing a user’s digital identity. For example, when you are first onboarded to an organization, the IT team creates a profile for you, which includes attributes such as your name, role, department, and job location. You are also assigned a user ID, email address, and a temporary password. If any of these attributes change such as a role change, promotion, relocation, or a name change due to marriage, these updates are reflected in the system to ensure your digital identity remains accurate.
Access management determines whether a user is allowed to access certain company data or resources based on their job role or department. For example, a Service Desk Engineer, who is responsible for basic troubleshooting and user support, is granted permissions to reset user passwords and access the ticketing system. However, they are restricted from making changes to device configurations. On the other hand, a Desktop Engineer needs to perform more advanced tasks, such as installing software and configuring hardware. Therefore, access management grants the Desktop Engineer administrative permissions on user laptops and access to tools like SCCM for software deployment.
Hi Aisha
I liked how you explained the differences using real time situations especially pointing out the attributes of identity like name, role, department, and job location managed in Active Directory. Access management involves privileges like you explained using a service desk and a desktop engineer, i will also add that it determines who get permissions ( read, write, delete) on files and document.
Identity Management ensures that each device or user has a unique identity that can be accessed. Identity Management is mostly focused on managing creating and authenticating digital identities. Identity Management includes doing things like setting up an employee’s username and password, getting them started on multi-factor authentication, and managing user accounts. Aside from creating users accounts and authenticating users, Identify Management also includes organizing and storing users’ identities.
Access Managment focuses on what kind of tasks users are able to complete and the resources that they can access. Access Management is more security focused, it involves defining and enforcing permissions and policies to ensure users can only get access to what they are authorized for. Usually Access Management would do something along the lines of only allowing an employee to access files and applications that come from their department, this ensures that an employee does not have any access to sensitive data from another department or employees that they should not have access to.
I’d add that Identity Management and Access Management work well together through role-based access control, which connects user identities to specific roles. This way, employees automatically get the right level of access based on their job duties, keeping things secure without adding extra complexity. Have you seen examples of RBAC in action? It’s a smart approach to managing permissions effectively.
Hello Christopher,
I have seen an iteration of RBA in action a few times, specifically with user groups. The groups are giving heightened access and roles that is needed for a user to function in that capacity. Users are then added/removed from the groups as needed, This method helps cut down on the amount of time it would take to revoke roles and cuts down on the action of mistakenly forgetting to remove certain roles if the user had many attributes.
Identity management verifies who a user is by managing digital identities and authentication, while access management regulates what authenticated users are allowed to do within a system. Identity management focuses on establishing credentials and confirming a user’s legitimacy, whereas access management enforces permissions and authorizations, ensuring users access only necessary resources.
Identity management and access management are different because of the roles they play in a company’s security framework. System user identities are established and verified by Identity Management. To make sure that only real people can log in, it includes building, keeping, and confirming a user’s digital identity. This includes processes like user registration, password management, and multi-factor authentication.
Access Management controls what authorized users can perform in the system. It is up to access management to decide which resources, files, or systems a user can access based on their job or level of license after their name has been proven. Identity management responds “Who are you?” whereas access management answers “What can you do?”
I agree with this distinction between identity management and access management. Identity management establishes a user’s identity, ensuring that only legitimate users are in the system, while access management defines what each verified user can access, aligning with their roles and responsibilities.
Identity management verifies a user’s identity, while access management controls what that user can do within a system. Identity focuses on authenticating user identity, while access determines permissions for data and applications. For Temple students like us, identity management involves verifying each student’s identity through unique credentials like TU Accessnets. This ensures that only verified students are recognized as members of the Temple community. Access management for Temple students determines what resources they can use. For instance, all students can register for courses; however, honors students and athletes have priority registration. They can register for courses a few days before the rest of the student body due to their honors indicator or athletic status.
Identity management is one of the prerequisites for a fully fleshed out access management system. It is what is used to determine the identity of someone who is operating within a system. While access management is able to function without identity management, for example using hostnames or IP addresses to grant access, in a modern environment that is not sufficient to protect from bad actors. Because of this verifying the identity of a logged on user, preferably using modern techniques such as physical access keys and 2FA, should be the basis used before granting those user access via access management.
Identity Management focuses on establishing and managing user identities within an organization to confirm that each individual is accurately identified. This process involves authentication systems, such as passwords, biometrics, or tokens, which are used to securely validate users identities before allowing them access to the system. Access Management centers on regulating and limiting access to resources and data according to users identities, roles, or permissions. This includes authorization processes that define what actions an authenticated user is permitted to take on specific resources, ensuring that each user can access only the data and systems relevant to their role.
Identity management refers to a digital identity. For example, an employee has specific attirbutes in their employer’s database that uniquely define them. This can be in HR systems, the date of birth, employee ID number, DL number, etc. Management of the user includes, creation, maintaining ane keeping up to date, and deleting as necessary. This differs from access management becasue access management refers to the access that the user has. For example, at my company I have specific access to certain systems based on my team. When I change teams, my identity won’t change but my access will. Management of access control includes adding, deleting, and maintaining based on specific needs.
You gave a great example that highlighted an important distinction between identity and access management. Identity management is all about maintaining a consistent and unique profile for each user within the organization, independent of their role or position. Access management, by contrast, is dynamic, adjusting a user’s permissions as their responsibilities change. This separation ensures that the organization can precisely control access while keeping identity records accurate and up to date.
Identity management ensures users are who they claim to be, while access management controls what those users are allowed to do within the system. Identity management establishes and maintains digital identities for users, that include information such as their role, permissions, and credentials and ensure data is accurate and up to date. Access management, on the other hand, focuses on determining and enforcing what resources a verified user can access once they are authenticated. It encompasses the rules and permissions that control which data or applications users can interact with, depending on their roles and the policies in place.
Going to be a bit pedantic here but I do think that it is an important point to make. I would claim that identity management isn’t verifying who someone claims to be, because the default state of a network is anonymous, it is identifying who someone is at all.
Identity management is simply the authentication of a user within an enterprise network against a stored database of identities. It is the arm that ensures that the credentials being used are valid and that it is indeed the user that is trying to access the system. Controls that support this would be Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and geolocation-based authentication.
Access management is simply the set of controls and countermeasures that maintain the authorization to information and tools. It ensures that credentialed users/groups, and tools are authorized to read or write information within a system. It aims to maintain the confidentiality of information and keep unauthorized individuals out.
The aim of Identity and Access Management (IAM) is to manage the authentication and authorization of users and groups against information systems.