One reason IAM is an important part of cybersecurity is that it helps an organization’s IT department strike the right balance between keeping important data and resources inaccessible to most but still accessible to some. IAM makes it possible to set controls that grant secure access to employees and devices while making it difficult or impossible for outsiders to get through.

Another reason that IAM is important is that cybercriminals are evolving their methods daily. Sophisticated attacks like phishing emails are one of the most common sources of hacking and they target users with existing access. Without IAM, it’s difficult to manage who and what has access to an organization’s systems. Breaches and attacks can run rampant because not only is it difficult to see who has access, it’s also difficult to revoke access from a compromised user.

While perfect protection unfortunately doesn’t exist, IAM solutions are an excellent way to prevent and minimize the impact of attacks. Instead of restricting everyone’s access in the event of a breach, many IAM systems are AI-enabled and capable of detecting and stopping attacks before they become bigger problems.