Computer Science \ Cyber Security \ Identity and Access Management
**Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a critical subfield within Cyber Security, focusing on ensuring that the right individuals have appropriate access to technology resources. It encompasses the policies and technologies used to manage user identities and regulate user access to resources within an information system.
IAM combines various core components:
Identification: This refers to the process of recognizing an individual user or device by unique identifiers, such as usernames, email addresses, or biometric data. Identification answers the question: “Who is the user trying to gain access?”
Authentication: Authentication processes validate the identity claimed by an individual or entity. This is often achieved through multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems, such as passwords, security tokens, or biometric verification (e.g., fingerprints or facial recognition). The aim is to ensure that the entity requesting access is truly who they claim to be. Formally, suppose \(U\) is a set of users and \(I\) is a set of identifiers, an authentication function \(A\) can be defined as:
\[ A: I \rightarrow U \]
where \(A(i) = u\) means that identifier \(i\) is confirmed to be user \(u\).Authorization: Once authenticated, a user is assigned different permission levels or roles that delineate what resources and actions they can access within the system. Authorization defines which authenticated users are allowed to perform operations on the resource. In formal terms, if \(R\) is a set of resources and \(P\) is a set of permissions, an authorization function \(F\) can be described as:
\[ F: U \times R \rightarrow P \]
where \(F(u, r)\) gives the permissions \(p\) the user \(u\) has on resource \(r\).Accountability: This component involves tracking and logging user activities to ensure they comply with established security policies. It permits the audit and review of operations performed using particular identities and detects fraudulent activity or policy violations.
IAM systems utilize identity lifecycle management, which involves the creation, maintenance, and deletion of user identities over time. This lifecycle typically includes user provisioning, updating access rights as job roles change, and de-provisioning access when roles are terminated.
Another essential aspect of IAM involves role-based access control (RBAC), where users are assigned roles based on their job functions, and each role comes with a predefined set of permissions. Mathematically, if \(R\) represents roles and \(P\) represents permissions, we define:
\[ \begin{align*}
\text{Role\_Assignment}: & \quad U \rightarrow R \\
\text{Role\_Permissions}: & \quad R \rightarrow P
\end{align*} \]
Thus, the actual permissions \(P(u)\) for user \(u\) can be determined by:
\[ P(u) = \text{Role\_Permissions}(\text{Role\_Assignment}(u)) \]
In summary, IAM is pivotal in safeguarding information systems by ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources and by maintaining robust logs of user activities. It is a cornerstone in creating a secure and efficient cyber infrastructure.