In the not-so-distant past, managing user identities and access controls was a relatively straightforward process. Organizations operated within the confines of their on-premises networks where users logged onto a single system to access the resources they needed. This well-defined perimeter enabled IT departments to maintain tight control over who accessed what and from where.
However, the advent of cloud computing has disrupted this traditional paradigm. Organizations now operate in a distributed environment: Resources and services are scattered across various cloud platforms, and users can access them from anywhere in the world, on any device. As a result, the network perimeter that IT teams used to focus on securing is now obsolete.
To ensure security in a cloud-centric world, IT teams must embrace robust identity and access management (IAM). IAM is a framework of policies, processes and technologies that enables organizations to manage digital identities and control user access to IT systems, applications and data to ensure that only authorized users can access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons.
Today, an IAM strategy must address the complexity of managing numerous identities across diverse cloud services while ensuring secure access control to protect against unauthorized use and data breaches.
Key Terms
Key terms for discussing IAM in the cloud environment include the following:
- Privileged access management (PAM) is sub-discipline of IAM that focuses on controlling highly privileged accounts and monitoring their activity. PAM is broken out into its own area because of the high risk that these accounts pose for security, compliance and business continuity.
- Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of restricting system access to authorized users based on their job functions. Permissions for certain operations are granted to specific roles using security groups, and users are assigned the roles appropriate for their jobs. RBAC makes it easier for organizations to rigorously enforce the principle of least privilege.
- Lifecycle management involves proper governance over creating, maintaining and deactivating accounts and roles over their lifetime. For example, it includes initial provisioning of access rights to users, updating a user’s roles as their responsibilities change within the organization, and removing a user’s account when they leaves the organization to prevent its misuse by a malicious actor.
- Authentication is the process of ensuring that a user is who they claim to be. Traditionally, this relied on a user providing a user ID and password. However, because passwords are easily compromised, organizations are increasingly requiring multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA enhances security by requiring at least two methods of authentication, such as traditional credentials plus a fingerprint or a response from an authenticator app.
- Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication process that enables a user to enter one set of credentials to access multiple systems and applications.
- Authorization is the process of determining whether or not to grant a request from an identity to access particular resources. For instance, authorization prevents an authenticated user from reading documents or running applications that they have not been granted access to.
- Identity provider (IdP) is a trusted system that creates, maintains and manages digital identities. IdPs provide services to verify user identities and grant access to applications or services, and usually enable single sign-on capabilities.
- Identity as a service (IdaaS) is a cloud-based third-party service that provides organizations with IAM features like authentication, authorization and user management. IdaaS services reduce the burden on internal IT teams and can simplify compliance with industry regulations thanks to advanced security features and regular updates.
IAM Challenges in the Cloud
The cloud presents a new set of IAM challenges compared to on-premises environments. First, cloud environments are inherently distributed, with resources and services spread across multiple regions and cloud providers. As a result, is it more difficult to maintain centralized control over identities and their access rights. In addition, as a company adopts more cloud services and applications, the number of identities grows, so organizations need IAM systems that can provide governance at scale.
But even as cloud adoption has exploded, very few organizations operate exclusively in the cloud. Most adopt a hybrid IT model with workloads and identities spanning on-premises systems and private and public cloud services. Ensuring consistent IAM policies and processes across a hybrid environment is more complex than in a purely on-premises setup.
Another challenge is that in the cloud, responsibility for IAM is shared between the cloud provider and the customer. Customers have limited visibility into and control over the underlying infrastructure. Yet they must understand and properly configure IAM controls within the cloud services, which can be challenging due to the rapid pace of updates and changes in cloud platforms. These factors makes it harder to implement and enforce IAM policies consistently across all cloud resources.
IAM and Zero Trust
A cloud IAM strategy can help you adopt a Zero Trust security model. In particular, it can provide accurate, fine-grained access controlusingRBAC to grant users exactly the permissions they need based on their roles. In addition, a cloud-based IAM can reduce the risks associated with compromised credentials by providing strong password policies and multifactor authentication.
Finally, a cloud IAM solution can intelligently enforce the Zero Trust principle of “never trust, always verify” by considering contextual factors such as user identity, device reputation, location and behavior to determine whether to require a user or process to authenticate again using MFA.
How to Implement IAM in the Cloud
To implement cloud identity and access management effectively and efficiently, take the following steps:
- Assess your current IAM. Start by understanding your existing IAM infrastructure. Be sure to include identity services like Microsoft Active Directory and Entra ID, as well as IAM solution and other security tools with IAM capabilities. Also identify the cloud services and applications already in use.
- Gather requirements. Document the business and technical requirements for a solution. Be sure to engage key stakeholders across the organization to understand their needs and concerns.
- Evaluate solutions. Research and evaluate different cloud IAM vendors and solutions. Criteria can include authentication mechanisms, integration capabilities and pricing models. Many popular options are described later in this document.
- Plan for integration and migration. Determine how you will integrate your existing directories and IAM capabilities with your proposed cloud IAM solution. This may involve real-time synchronization, directory merging, and migrating user identities and access rights.
- Deploy and configure the selected cloud IAM solution. This process includes setting up authentication methods, access controls and policies, as well as integrating the solution with cloud applications and services.
- Provide user training and support. Conduct training sessions for employees and administrators on how to use and manage the IAM solution. Be sure to provide documentation like FAQs and helpdesk support for ongoing assistance.
- Continuously monitor and refine. Implement processes for auditing and refining the cloud IAM solution. This includes patch management, compliance checks, security assessments, and adapting to evolving threats and industry trends.
Common Cloud IAM Challenges
Here are some challenges your team may encounter with adopting a cloud management IAM solution:
- Insufficient flexibility in the solution may necessitate significant changes to existing workflows, which can lead users and IT teams to resist adoption.
- Lack of clear communication can lead to confusion and failure to complete necessary tasks.
- Integration challenges with legacy IAM tools can create complexities in real-time synchronization, directory merging, and migration of user identities and access rights.
- Data integrity issues during migration of user identities and access rights to the new cloud IAM solution can compromise the effectiveness of the implementation.
- Resource constraints such as budget limitations, limited staff or inadequate technology can cause delays or suboptimal execution.
- Misaligned expectations about the capabilities of the cloud IAM solution or the level of support provided by the vendor can frustration for both IT teams and business users.
Candidate IAM Cloud Solutions
Here are some of the leading cloud IAM tools available today that you might want to evaluate:
- AWS Identity and Access Management is a cloud-native IAM solution designed for securing access to Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is a cloud-based IAM solution that provides single sign-on, multifactor authentication and access management for Microsoft and third-party applications.
- JumpCloud is a cloud directory platform for securely managing identities and access across Windows, macOS and Linux environments. Features include SSO and group-based access control.
- Okta is a cloud-based identity management service that provides single sign-on, multifactor authentication and lifecycle management for workforce and customer identities.
- Ping Identity provides a comprehensive suite of identity and access management solutions, including support for directory servers, identity federation and multifactor authentication.
Conclusion
With the evaporation of the traditional network perimeter, a robust IAM strategy is vital for security, compliance and business continuity. Cloud IAM offers a wealth of benefits, such as automated provisioning, global accessibility, scalability and seamless integration with cloud applications. However, a successful cloud IAM implementation requires careful planning, effective communication, and a strategic approach to potential challenges like data integrity during migration and user resistance to adoption. With the right cloud IAM solution and thorough planning, organizations can confidently manage identities and access across their hybrid environment, ensuring secure and efficient access control while enabling business agility and growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IAM?
Identity and access management (IAM) is the discipline of managing identities and their access to an organization’s applications, data and other IT resources. It includes tools, policies and processes for identity provisioning and governance, authentication, and authorization.
What is the role of IAM in cloud computing?
With the advent of cloud computing, organizations need to extend IAM across the entire hybrid IT environment. In addition, cloud adoption increases the need for IAM capabilities like role-based access control, single sign-on, multifactor authentication and federated identity management.
How is a user identity created in cloud IAM?
In cloud IAM, a user identity is created by entering relevant details into the IAM system, such as the user’s name, roles, location and manager. The system assigns a unique identifier and credentials, which may include a password or multifactor authentication setup.
