Identity and access management (IAM) is the security discipline that enables the right individuals to access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons.

IAM addresses the mission-critical need to ensure appropriate access to resources across increasingly heterogeneous technology environments, and to meet increasingly rigorous compliance requirements. This security practice is a crucial undertaking for any enterprise. It is increasingly business-aligned, and it requires business skills, not just technical expertise.

Enterprises that develop mature IAM capabilities can reduce their identity management costs and, more importantly, become significantly more agile in supporting new business initiatives.

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  SummaryArticle NameIdentity ManagementGartner, Inc.Gartner, Inc.DescriptionIdentity and access management (IAM) is the security discipline that enables the right individuals to access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons. View Gartner's free research on access management.