IAM, or identity and access management, is an essential component of the security infrastructure of any modern organisation. As companies continue to adopt digital platforms for document management, protecting sensitive information becomes an ever greater priority. IAM is therefore the solution for ensuring that only the right people have access to the right resources, at the right time and for the right reasons. Moreover, this system is vital to protect corporate data, ensure regulatory compliance and increase operational efficiency, since it automates and centrally manages access permissions. In this article, we explain the concept of IAM, its main features and how it can benefit document management platforms.
Definition of identity and access management
IAM is a set of policies, processes and technologies used to manage digital identities and users’ access rights to resources within an organisation. In other words, IAM ensures that the right person (or system) has access to the right information, securely and in a controlled way. This concept covers several areas, including user authentication, access authorisation, access auditing and identity management.
Main components of IAM
IAM integrates several components that operate together to ensure secure and efficient access management:
Authentication: The process of verifying a user’s identity. It includes methods such as passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics and others.
Authorisation: Determines which resources the authenticated user can access and what actions they can perform on those resources.
Account provisioning: The process of creating, managing and deactivating user accounts within the organisation’s systems.
Role and permission management: Defining and assigning roles and responsibilities to users according to their functions in the company.
Auditing and reporting: Monitoring and logging all access activity, which enables audits and ensures compliance with policies and regulations.
Why IAM matters for companies
IAM is not just a matter of security; it also contributes to operational efficiency and compliance. By centralising access management, organisations can reduce human error, eliminate redundancies and ensure that security policies are applied consistently. In addition, IAM helps to ensure compliance with regulations such as the GDPR, because it provides strict control over who has access to personal and sensitive data.
IAM features
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication is an additional layer of security required by IAM, in which users must provide more than one authentication factor to access resources. These factors can include something the user knows (such as a password), something they have (such as a token or smartphone) and something they are (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition). Consequently, MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access, even if the user’s credentials are compromised.
Single sign-on (SSO)
SSO is a feature that allows users to access multiple applications and systems with a single login. This feature simplifies the user experience, reduces password fatigue and improves security. As a result, users enter their credentials less often, which also reduces the risk of phishing.
Identity management
Identity management is the core of IAM: this is where the organisation creates, maintains and manages users’ digital identities throughout their life cycle. It includes creating new accounts, managing access rights and removing accounts when users leave the organisation. Efficient identity management thus ensures that each user only has access to the resources they need to perform their duties.
Role and permission management
IAM makes it possible to create and manage roles that determine users’ access levels based on their functions within the organisation. For example, an employee in the Human Resources department will have access to different files from an employee in the IT department. In this way, segmentation helps to minimise the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive information.
Auditing and compliance
IAM offers robust auditing tools that log all activity related to authentication and access. These logs are essential to ensure regulatory compliance and to identify and respond to possible security incidents. In addition, regular audits help to identify suspicious patterns of behaviour and ensure that access policies are being properly followed.
Benefits of IAM in document management platforms
Stronger security
Implementing a robust IAM system in document management platforms significantly increases security, since only authorised users can access sensitive documents and data. For example, multi-factor authentication and strict identity management reduce the risk of security breaches. They also protect the organisation against internal and external threats.
Operational efficiency
IAM simplifies access management by automating tasks such as creating and removing user accounts. Furthermore, with SSO, employees can quickly access the tools they need without wasting time on multiple logins. This not only improves productivity but also reduces the administrative workload associated with access management.
Regulatory compliance
IAM helps organisations comply with data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, by ensuring that access to personal data is strictly controlled and audited. Equally crucial is the ability to generate detailed access reports to demonstrate compliance during audits and investigations.
Centralised management
Centralising access management through IAM provides a holistic view and full control over who has access to what within the organisation. As a result, this centralised view makes it easier to apply consistent security policies and to identify potential security problems quickly.
The identity life cycle
One of the most important functions of IAM is to track each identity from the moment a person joins the organisation until they leave. This process is often described in three stages:
- Joining: creating the account with the access required for the role, right from the first day;
- Moving: adjusting access when the person changes role, removing whatever is no longer needed;
- Leaving: immediately deactivating all accounts when the person leaves the organisation.
When these steps depend on manual requests, accounts belonging to former employees often remain active. For this reason, linking IAM to the human resources system is one of the most valuable automations.
IAM for external users
Contractor document management platforms have a particular feature: most users do not belong to the organisation. They are administrative staff from subcontracted companies, consultants or auditors. IAM must therefore allow the creation of external accounts with limited access, expiry dates and strong authentication. In addition, when a contractor stops working for the company, all of their accounts must be deactivated.
Practical example: Forgotten access rights
Consider a company that, during a security audit, discovers more than 40 active accounts belonging to contractors who no longer work for it. Some of them had access to workers’ medical fitness certificates and identity documents.
To correct the situation, the company links each external account to a contract with an end date. Next, it configures accounts to be deactivated automatically when the contract ends. Finally, it starts reviewing external access every quarter. In this way, it reduces the risk of improper access and better complies with the principle of data minimisation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between authentication and authorisation?
Authentication confirms who the user is. Authorisation, on the other hand, defines what that user can see and do once authenticated.
Does SSO increase the risk if an account is compromised?
It can increase the impact, because a single credential gives access to several systems. For this reason, SSO should always be combined with multi-factor authentication and access monitoring. Find out more about permission management in document management platforms.
Which authentication method is the most secure?
Phishing-resistant methods, such as FIDO2 security keys or passkeys, are currently the most secure. Even so, any form of multi-factor authentication is much better than using a password alone.
Conclusion
IAM is a fundamental part of the security and efficiency of document management platforms. By ensuring that only authorised users have access to critical resources and by automating identity management processes, IAM improves not only security but also productivity and regulatory compliance. As cyber threats continue to evolve, IAM will play an increasingly crucial role in protecting business data and preserving the integrity of information. In short, for organisations that want to optimise their document management and strengthen security, implementing a robust IAM system is an essential and strategic step.
Read also: Multi-factor authentication and Access permissions in document management platforms.
For European guidance on cybersecurity and identity management, see ENISA.