Identity & Access Management: Page

An explanation of identity and access management

Identity and access management systems safeguard businesses by controlling digital identities, managing access rights and implementing security protocols.

By Tommy Everson, Sharon Shea • July 17, 2025

How to implement zero trust: 7 expert steps

Zero trust means a lot more than determining how users access resources. Successful implementation takes time, commitment and ongoing support.

By Karen Kent , Alissa Irei • July 8, 2025

What is a message authentication code (MAC)? How it works and best practices

A message authentication code (MAC) is a cryptographic checksum applied to a message to guarantee its integrity and authenticity.

By Alexander Gillis, Robert Sheldon • July 2, 2025

What is the principle of least privilege (POLP)?

The principle of least privilege (POLP) is a concept in computer security that limits users' access rights to only what is strictly required to do their jobs.

By Kinza Yasar, Alexander Gillis • July 2, 2025

Top identity security themes at Identiverse 2025

Identiverse 2025 found security pros tackling nonhuman identity risks, preparing for agentic AI challenges and shifting from homegrown to commercial CIAM tools.

By Todd Thiemann • June 26, 2025

What is Single Sign-On (SSO)? Definition, How It Works & Benefits

Single sign-on (SSO) is a session and user authentication service that lets users access multiple applications or systems with a single set of login credentials.

By Kinza Yasar, Taina Teravainen • June 25, 2025

Multifactor authentication: 5 examples and strategic use cases

Before implementing MFA, conduct a careful study to determine which security factors offer the strongest protection. Passwords and PINs aren't cutting it any longer.

By Karen Kent • June 24, 2025

What is perfect forward secrecy (PFS)?

Perfect forward secrecy (PFS), also known as forward secrecy, is an encryption style known for producing temporary private key exchanges between clients and servers.

By Gavin Wright, Sarah Lewis • June 20, 2025

3 leading multifactor authentication tool providers

Compare top MFA providers Cisco, Okta and Ping Identity. Learn product features and pricing tiers, and get advice on selecting a product for your organization's security needs.

By Karen Kent • June 16, 2025

What is HMAC (Hash-Based Message Authentication Code)?

Hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) is a message encryption method that uses a cryptographic key with a hash function.

By Scott Robinson , Rahul Awati • June 16, 2025

Why identity is the new perimeter – and how to defend it

Identity has replaced network boundaries as today's security perimeter. Organizations must focus on protecting digital identities to safeguard their assets.

By Sean Kerner • June 6, 2025

Account lockout policy: Setup and best practices explained

Organizations must carefully balance security and UX when implementing account lockout policies.

By Karen Kent • June 3, 2025

What is a time-based one-time password?

A time-based one-time password (TOTP) is a temporary passcode generated by an algorithm that uses the current time of day as one of its authentication factors.

By TechTarget Contributor • June 2, 2025

How to create a remote access policy, with template

Remote work, while beneficial, presents numerous security risks. Help keep your organization's systems safe with a remote access policy.

By Paul Kirvan • May 20, 2025

What is Universal 2nd Factor (U2F)?

Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) is a physical device that can act as a form of authentication for an account.

By Gavin Wright • May 19, 2025

RSAC 2025 Conference: Identity security highlights

RSAC 2025 Conference was abuzz with talk about agentic AI and tool convergence. Analyst Todd Thiemann shares how these trends affect identity security.

By Todd Thiemann • May 9, 2025

What is a registration authority (RA)?

A registration authority (RA) is an entity that is authorized to verify user requests for a digital certificate and also to tell a certificate authority (CA) to issue that certificate to the user.

By Rahul Awati , Andrew Froehlich • May 5, 2025

How payment tokenization works and why it’s important

Payment tokenization benefits merchants and customers alike. It not only helps protect financial transaction data, but also improves UX.

By Ravi Das • April 28, 2025

How to create custom sudo configuration files in /etc/sudoers

Sudo offers administrators a lot of flexibility. Creating custom sudo configurations can go a long way toward easing management and service upgrade challenges.

By Damon Garn • April 14, 2025

Data security and identity security themes at RSAC 2025

Check out what Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Todd Thiemann has on his agenda for RSA Conference 2025.

By Todd Thiemann • April 9, 2025

What is an initialization vector?

An initialization vector (IV) is an arbitrary number that can be used with a secret key for data encryption to foil cyber attacks.

By Rahul Awati • April 2, 2025

IAM compliance: Know the system controls at your disposal

IAM is critical to an organization's data security posture, and its role in regulatory compliance is just as crucial.

By Sharon Shea • April 1, 2025

How to create a strong passphrase, with examples

Passphrases have emerged as an effective way to protect networks from brute-force attacks. But users still need to know how to create a passphrase that's effective.

By Matthew Smith • March 28, 2025

Benefits and challenges of zero standing privileges

Zero standing privileges combines the zero-trust model with the principle of least privilege to strengthen privileged access management and reduce enterprise attack surfaces.

By Dave Shackleford • March 26, 2025

What is Kerberos and how does it work?

Kerberos is a protocol for authenticating service requests between trusted hosts across an untrusted network, such as the internet.

By Peter Loshin, Michael Cobb, Rahul Awati • March 10, 2025