What is identity management?

Identity management is the administration of the digital identities of users within a system, for example a company’s network. Managing identities helps organizations to control and keep safe their users and resources by assigning rights and restrictions to an identity. This controls a user’s access to only the systems and data they need.

Identity management is sometimes called Identity and Access Management and is often abbrieviated to IDM or IAM.

Powerful enterprise-grade software is available for identity management. Microsoft’s is called Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 (MIM).

About identity management

Managing the lifecycle of a digital identity is far from simple. Typically, digital identities and access entitlements are required in many directories and data stores. It’s hard work creating these entries, keeping them in sync with each other and then removing or disabling them when required. It’s expensive and time-consuming and it’s seriously risky and insecure.

An efficient IDM platform reduces costs by providing a single foundation for all core identity services. With a single view and point of management, a user can be handled across multiple systems even if those systems were historically disparate.

Identity management makes security and compliance easier too, because now you can enforce and track identities across the whole organization.

Read more about identity management or see this pdf.

Identity management far from straightforward. Oxford Computer Group has specialized in it since 2003 and won many awards. So if your organization is looking for an identity solution or guidance, contact us. Our team of consultants is ready to advise you.