Identity and Access Management

Abstract

Cloud computing is transforming the way in which organizations and individuals access computing resources and applications and do their business. However, such factors as privacy, security, and trust are increasingly becoming major concerns for organizations and consumers using cloud services. Such concerns remain critical whether the cloud services provided are stand-alone applications (SaaS), platforms for application development (PaaS), or IT infrastructures (IaaS) such as networks, servers, or storage on demand. One of the key security areas, the management of identities and their access to resources, is becoming more complex. It requires a more unified approach to both internal and external users, in traditional as well as cloud environments. This chapter elaborates on the essence of identity and access management (IAM) and why effective IAM is an important requirement for ensuring security, privacy, and trust in a cloud computing environment. It also outlines the current status of IAM in the cloud, discusses the challenges that IAM brings to the cloud, and highlights considerations for users when deploying and using cloud computing.