What is User Identity Management?

User Identity Management encompasses the processes and systems that organizations employ to manage and control users’ digital identities within an IT infrastructure. It ensures that individuals accessing resources are who they claim to be, and it regulates their permissions and access rights based on predefined policies. Organizations depend on effective User Identity Management to maintain security, improve operational efficiency, and ensure a seamless user experience overall.

Key Components of User Identity Management

Identity Creation

The process of assigning unique identifiers such as usernames and IDs to employees, contractors, partners, and vendors when they are on-boarded to the organization’s IT infrastructure. User Identity Management tools collect and securely store user information such as contact details and roles within the organization.

Authentication

Verification of users’ identities using credentials such as passwords, biometric data, or authentication tokens. Employing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in this process enhances security.

Authorization

Definition and enforcement of access rights and privileges for each user using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) to ensure users can access only the resources they need.

Identity Provisioning and De-provisioning

Tools that automatically grant users appropriate access to systems, applications, and data during onboarding and promptly revoke access when users’ roles change or when they leave the organization or for any reason no longer require it.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Enables users to log in once and gain access to multiple systems without re-authenticating. This reduces password fatigue and enhances the efficiency of the user experience.

Directory Services

Implements centralized databases such as LDAP and Active Directory that store and manage user identities and provide authentication and authorization services for connected systems.

Identity Governance

Monitors and audits user activity to detect and respond to unusual or unauthorized access attempts and ensure compliance with organizational policies and industry-specific regulations.

Federated Identity Management

Standards such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect enable users to access multiple systems, services, or organizations using a single set of credentials. It allows different organizations or systems to establish trust relationships and enables seamless access across boundaries without requiring users to maintain separate credentials for each system.

Self-Service Portals

Enables users to manage aspects of their identity, such as password resets or profile updates, without IT intervention.

Benefits of User Identity Management

Enhanced Security

User Identity Management ensures that user identities are properly created, changed, and disabled when employees join the organization, move departments, get promoted, and leave the organization. This prevents unauthorized access and protects sensitive applications and data.

Improved Compliance

Helps meet regulatory requirements by managing and auditing access rights.

Operational Efficiency

Automates identity-related tasks, such as RBAC and ABAC, that predefine which systems a new user should have access to, based on their roles in the organization. Automating access control enables administrators to immediately review access rights and ensure compliance with various regulations so that new users can be productive more quickly. This reduces the complexity of assigning user access rights and reduces administrative overhead costs.

Better User Experience

Features such as SSO and self-service portals eliminate the need for users to remember multiple credentials and dramatically simplify the process.

User Identity Management Use Cases

Internal Organizational IT Infrastructures

Manage employees, contractor, partner, and vendor access to sensitive applications and data.

Customer Identity for Public-Facing Systems

Securely handle identities for customers accessing online services such as e-commerce and government sites.

Cloud, Multi-Cloud, and Hybrid Environments

Managing identities across all infrastructures in an organization’s IT architecture.

Where to Learn More and Get Help

User Identity Management is an essential tool in an organizational Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy. A SaaS-based Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solution like Omada Identity Cloud enables organizations to connect a User Identity Management process with other IAM tools to streamline identity workflows, enhance security, and achieve compliance. Get a demo.