IAM refers to the policies and technologies that ensure the right individuals and non-human entities access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons.
Description
In the context of Non-Human Identity Management, IAM encompasses the processes and tools that manage identities for non-human entities such as applications, services, devices, and bots. These entities often require access to various systems and data to perform automated tasks or provide services. IAM solutions for non-human identities focus on establishing, managing, and enforcing policies that govern how these entities authenticate and authorize actions. This includes creating unique identities for each non-human entity, setting permissions based on roles or attributes, and continuously monitoring access to ensure compliance and security. Effective IAM for non-human identities is crucial in environments like cloud computing and microservices architectures, where automated processes and interactions between systems are commonplace. By managing these identities effectively, organizations can improve security, reduce the risk of unauthorized access, and ensure that automated processes adhere to compliance requirements.
Examples
- API Keys used by applications to access services securely.
- Service accounts that perform automated tasks in cloud environments.
Additional Information
- IAM solutions help mitigate risks associated with automated access and actions.
- Non-human identities often require different management strategies compared to human users.