In today's complex world of ever-increasing web applications, passwords, governmental regulations, and auditing requirements, it is absolutely essential that all organizations, regardless of size, have a formal identity management system in place.

What exactly is Identity Management (IdM)?

Most simply put, Identity Management is a process that defines the "who, what, where, and how" of identity. It defines what an identity is within an organization, what the identity can do, and how to track and report on what the entity does. IdM is also referred to as "IAM", or Identity and Access Management. This is also known as "AAA", or Authentication, Authorization, and Auditing. Identity Management, or IdM / IAM encompasses all of the following:

• Single Sign-on. One ID and one password/token/PKI/smartcard/i-name provides access to most or all applications in the enterprise.
• Digital Identity (DigitalID). Reducing and rationalizing multiple units of identity into a single entity, such as a specific username, or digital token, smartcard, dongle, cell phone, or PKI tool.
• Provisioning. Registering and unregistering user access to applications and facility access points. Provisioning also includes all business workflow processes of approvals or denials that may be required.
• Fine-grained authorization. Permissions sets regulating what user or application can do once access is granted.
• Directory Services. IdM is built on the back of one or more directory services, such as LDAP, eDirectory, or AD. Directories may be standalone, metadirectories, virtual directories, of a combination of all three.
• Authentication methods. Defines how users or applications may access a system.
• Application Entitlements. Determine applications can the user access, once authenticated.
• User and application auditing and reporting. Tracking and maintaining records of all transactions by application and user, throughout each transaction point.
• Strong authentication. Also known as "two factor" or "multi-factor" authentication and can include biometric, token, Kerberos, SAML, and PKI-based access.
• Federation. Digital Identity that is trusted across service providers, business partners, and multiple units within an organization. Federation is the "ring of trust" that allows Digital ID to cross boundaries.

Business Drivers for Identity Management (IdM/IAM)Implementation

• Regulatory Compliance
• Significant cost reduction
• Faster time to market for new applications
• Developer efficiency
• Application standardization
• Increased business and IT process efficiency
• Consistent means of applying security controls across all applications and processes
• Full auditing and reporting for company applications
• Eased integration with partners and suppliers
• Improved end-user experience
• Scalability and Integration

How Links Business Group can successfully implement your Identity Management infrastructure

Links Business Group consultants are seasoned and experienced in IdM from both the political/organizational perspective, and the hands-on technology implementation. Links Business Group has been implementing Identity Management (IdM/IAM) and related technologies since the early 1990's, long before the big vendors jumped on the bandwagon. Links Business Group provides full lifecycle project management, implementation services, and ongoing management of your Identity Management initiative. Our experience, tools, field-tested methodologies, and vendor-agnostic approach will ensure that your implementation is a smashing success. Call Links Business Group today to facilitate your IdM / IAM initiative.

We look forward to working with you!