TL;DR
Identity management and access control work together to verify who users are and determine what they can access within enterprise systems. Modern organizations face growing credential risks — especially with password reuse across dozens of apps — making layered solutions like Single Sign-On (SSO), Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and lifecycle management essential tools for IT teams to secure data, reduce friction, and automate access changes as employees join, move, or leave.
Why identity and access management matters
Identity management and access control is the discipline of managing access to enterprise resources to keep systems and data secure. As a key component of your security architecture, it can help verify your users' identities before granting them the right level of access to workplace systems and information. While people might use the terms identity management, authentication, and access control interchangeably, each of these individually serve as distinct layers for enterprise security processes.
What is the difference between identity management, authentication, and access control?
| Concept | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identity management (IAM) | The overarching discipline for verifying a user's identity and their level of access to a particular system | Managing user credentials and access policies across enterprise systems |
| Authentication | Verifies a user's identity before granting access | Username and password, PIN entry, fingerprint scan, bank card tap |
| Access control | Determines each user's level of access to a given system after identity is verified | Allowing software administrators to add users or edit profiles while barring lower-tier users from certain features and information |
Identity management—also referred to as identity and access management (IAM)—is the overarching discipline for verifying a user's identity and their level of access to a particular system. Within that scope, both authentication and access control—which regulates each user's level of access to a given system—play vital roles in securing user data.
We interact with authentication mechanisms every day. When you use any of the following methods, your identity is being verified for authentication purposes:
- Username and password
- PIN entry
- Fingerprint scan
- Bank card tap
Once your identity is verified, access control is implemented to determine your level of access. This is important for applications and services that have different levels of authorization for different users. Access control, for instance, will allow software administrators to add users or edit profiles while also barring lower-tier users from accessing certain features and information.
How can modern identity management and access control help mitigate risk?
According to Okta's Business at Work 2019 report, nearly 40% of employees use the same two to four passwords to access over 100 apps on average. In the workplace, this means corporate IT administrators have their hands full managing user credentials for multiple systems. As organizations embrace cloud-based tools for a mix of on-prem and online services, IT admins have become responsible for securing access to many platforms with varying identity management and access control solutions. This can be challenging for IT teams, and can also lead to a frustrated user base that needs to stay on top of multiple logins.
Where IAM can be particularly effective is in supporting your IT team in tracking, monitoring, and controlling accounts that have access to sensitive data, while protecting that data with secure authentication solutions. As employees are often guilty of not using best practices for their passwords, admins should add layers of authentication protection, such as single sign-on (SSO), to prevent an unauthorized intrusion to their company's systems.
How does adaptive MFA reduce password-related risk?
By pairing SSO with Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (Adaptive MFA), administrators can protect their organizations from single-password related threats by having users provide additional factors during the authentication process. It also enables administrators to set conditional access that checks the user's device, location, and network, assigning a risk rating in real-time. With Adaptive MFA, you can configure:
- Conditional access checks based on device, location, and network
- Real-time risk rating assignment
- Passwordless authentication via smartphone or physical token
- Single authentication experience across all applications
Using their smartphone or physical token, users can access all their applications seamlessly through a single authentication experience, further reducing the risk posed by weak password practices. Implementing these tools and other key security measures, will protect and benefit both IT teams and employees alike.
Why does lifecycle management matter for access control?
IAM also requires effective lifecycle management, particularly as organizations continually see people enter, change, or leave their roles. In dealing with role changes, administrators need to either allow, modify, or revoke employees' access to various applications in an effective way:
- Allow access for new employees
- Modify access when roles change
- Revoke access when employees leave
By implementing a lifecycle management solution, companies can automate this task and help mitigate the risks associated with it. Implementing these tools and other key security measures, will protect and benefit both IT teams and employees alike.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between authentication and access control?
Authentication is the process of verifying a user's identity — for example, through a password, PIN, fingerprint, or bank card. Access control comes after authentication and determines what level of access that verified user is granted within a system, such as whether they can edit profiles or only view certain information.
Why is password reuse such a significant risk for organizations?
According to Okta's Business at Work 2019 report, nearly 40% of employees use the same two to four passwords across more than 100 apps on average. This means a single compromised credential can expose a wide range of corporate systems, placing a heavy burden on IT administrators to manage and secure access.
How does single sign-on (SSO) improve security and user experience?
SSO allows users to authenticate once and gain access to all their authorized applications through a single login experience. This reduces the number of passwords users must manage, lowering the risk of weak or reused credentials while also reducing friction for the end user.
What additional protection does adaptive MFA provide beyond SSO?
Adaptive multi-factor authentication (Adaptive MFA) requires users to provide additional verification factors beyond a password. It also enables administrators to set conditional access policies that evaluate the user's device, location, and network in real time, assigning a risk rating and adjusting access requirements accordingly — including enabling a fully passwordless experience.
What is lifecycle management and why does it matter for access control?
Lifecycle management refers to the automated process of granting, modifying, or revoking employee access to applications as they join, change roles, or leave an organization. Without it, outdated or excessive access permissions can create significant security vulnerabilities, particularly for accounts tied to sensitive data.
How does identity and access management (IAM) support IT teams?
IAM gives IT administrators centralized tools to track, monitor, and control which accounts have access to sensitive systems and data. By combining solutions like SSO, Adaptive MFA, and lifecycle management, IAM reduces the manual workload on IT teams while enforcing consistent, secure access policies across the organization.
