Identity and Access Management (IAM) Security Guide
IAM vs PAM Explained: Key Differences and How They Work Together
IAM (Identity and Access Management) manages all user identities and their standard access — authentication, authorization, provisioning, and SSO for everyone. PAM (Privileged Access Management) specifically secures high-privilege accounts — administrators, root access, service accounts — with additional controls like session recording, just-in-time elevation, credential vaulting, and approval workflows. IAM answers "who can access what?" PAM answers "how do we secure the most powerful accounts?"
Andreas Johansson · Chief Executive Officer
Senior IT management leader with 25 years of experience in Cloud, Security, and Datacenter infrastructure.
Two Complementary Disciplines
IAM and PAM are often confused or conflated, but they serve different purposes and address different risk profiles. Understanding their relationship is essential for building comprehensive identity security.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Scope
IAM manages the identity lifecycle and access rights for all users in an organization — employees, contractors, partners, and customers.
Core Functions
- Identity lifecycle. Creating, modifying, and deactivating user accounts across all systems and applications. Automated provisioning based on role, department, and location.
- Authentication. Verifying user identity through passwords, MFA, SSO, and other authentication methods.
- Authorization. Defining and enforcing what users can access based on roles, attributes, and policies. Role-based access control (RBAC) is the most common model.
- Single sign-on (SSO). Centralizing authentication so users authenticate once and access multiple applications without re-entering credentials.
- Self-service. Password resets, access requests, and profile management handled by users without IT involvement.
- Access governance. Access reviews, certification campaigns, and compliance reporting to ensure access rights remain appropriate.
Who It Serves
All users — from entry-level employees to executives. IAM provides the foundation of identity security for the entire organization.
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Scope
PAM specifically secures accounts with elevated privileges — the accounts that can cause the most damage if compromised.
What Makes an Account "Privileged"
- System administrators with root or admin access to servers, databases, and infrastructure
- Cloud administrators with control over cloud accounts, resources, and configurations
- Database administrators with direct access to production data
- Network administrators with control over firewalls, routers, and network infrastructure
- Service accounts used by applications with elevated permissions
- Emergency/break-glass accounts for critical access during outages
- Security tool administrators with control over security infrastructure
Core Functions
- Credential vaulting. Storing privileged credentials in an encrypted vault. Users check out credentials when needed rather than knowing passwords directly.
- Session management. Recording and monitoring privileged sessions — every command, every action, every screen. Provides forensic evidence and real-time oversight.
- Just-in-time (JIT) access. Elevating privileges only when needed, for a defined time period, with automatic revocation. Users don't have standing privileged access.
- Approval workflows. Requiring authorization before privileged access is granted. Manager or security team approval for sensitive operations.
- Credential rotation. Automatically changing privileged passwords on a schedule — after every use, daily, or on a defined cycle. Ensures leaked credentials have limited lifespans.
- Least privilege enforcement. Ensuring privileged users have only the specific privileges needed for their current task, not blanket administrative access.
Key Differences
| Aspect | IAM | PAM |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All users | Privileged accounts only |
| Focus | Access management | Privileged access security |
| Authentication | SSO, MFA | Credential vaulting, session management |
| Authorization | RBAC, access requests | JIT elevation, approval workflows |
| Monitoring | Login events, access patterns | Full session recording, command logging |
| Lifecycle | Joiner/mover/leaver | Credential rotation, standing privilege removal |
| Risk level | Standard access risk | Highest-impact access risk |
How They Work Together
- IAM provides the foundation. Every user, including privileged users, needs identity management — provisioning, authentication, SSO, and access governance.
- PAM adds specialized controls for high-risk accounts. On top of IAM, privileged accounts get additional protections — vaulting, session monitoring, JIT access, and credential rotation.
- Integration points:
- IAM authenticates the user → PAM authorizes and monitors the privileged session
- IAM provisions the user account → PAM provisions access to privileged credential vault
- IAM governs standard access reviews → PAM governs privileged access reviews with stricter scrutiny
- IAM detects authentication anomalies → PAM detects anomalous privileged session behavior
Why You Need Both
- IAM without PAM: Standard users are managed, but privileged accounts — the highest-risk targets — have the same controls as regular accounts. Attackers who compromise admin credentials face no additional barriers.
- PAM without IAM: Privileged accounts are secured, but standard user management is ad hoc. No centralized authentication, inconsistent provisioning, no access governance. The foundation is weak.
- Both together: All identities are managed consistently (IAM), and the most powerful accounts have additional, specialized protections (PAM). This layered approach matches security controls to risk levels.
How SeqOps fits
SeqOps connects read-only to your AWS, Azure and Google Cloud accounts and reports access risks alongside vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, each ranked from Critical to Informational. Your identity resources are part of its cloud inventory. It doesn't manage identities or monitor sign-ins.