IAM PAM, PAM-I-AM

IAM (Identity and Access Management) and PAM (Privileged Access Management) are powerful tools that ensure the right people have appropriate access to the necessary tools and resources.

To illustrate these concepts, imagine IAM and PAM as people... say security guards at a rock concert. Iam is the guard checking tickets to verify attendees have valid access to enter the event. Pam is the guard ensuring those with "golden circle" tickets can access the premium seating area, not just general admission.

When not acting as security guards at a rock concert, IAM and PAM systems play a critical role in protecting access to your organisation's most sensitive information and data.

IAM is a strategic framework that uses policies, procedures, and technologies to manage user identities and control their access to network resources.

It doesn't matter where employees are located, they need to tap into their organisation's tools. Traditionally, most employees worked on-site, with company resources secured behind a firewall. Once on-site and authenticated, they had access to necessary resources.

Today, with the rise of hybrid work, employees require secure access to these resources both on-site and remotely. IAM systems are crucial for the management of this. They enable an organisation's IT department to regulate user access, ensuring only authorised individuals and services interact with sensitive data and operations.

IAM systems provide secure and streamlined access to organisational resources like emails, databases, and applications for verified users. The aim is to facilitate access for legitimate users to perform their duties while keeping out unauthorised users, such as hackers.

Key components of IAM include:

Identity Lifecycle Management: IAM systems are responsible for creating and managing digital identities for every user or entity on a network. This includes capturing and recording user login details and overseeing the management of the organisations user database.

Authentication: When a user requests access, the IAM system verifies their identity by checking their credentials (e.g. username/password and multi-factor authentication) against those stored in the directory.

Authorisation: After authentication, the IAM system assigns access rights to users depending on their identity and organisational role. Grouping users into roles streamlines the management of access permissions.

Where IAM works across a large user group (organisation wide), PAM is more granular, just like Pam at the rock concert only letting golden circle ticket owners into golden circle.

PAM is a cybersecurity system that grants elevated access levels to accounts that manage critical resources and administrative controls. It operates on the least privilege principle, a cornerstone of contemporary cybersecurity protocols.

The principle of least privilege ensures that users, applications, and processes only have access to the essential permissions necessary to fulfil their duties. Access is limited to only the specific documents or resources needed for a user's role, restricting the ability to read, write, or execute beyond those requirements. This approach can tighten access controls across applications, devices, systems, and processes. Access can be further refined to be role-specific, targeting particular business functions like HR, IT, and marketing, or it can vary based on factors such as location, rank, or time. In essence, least privilege access provides the bare minimum access required to get the job done.

While not every organisation needs to implement PAM, it is certainly worth considering as part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Adopting least privilege principles also helps to satisfy governance and compliance requirements, which may be a prerequisite for obtaining cyber insurance.