KEY CONCEPTS RELATED TO Workload iam
Looking for a straightforward rundown of non-human workload IAM-related terms, from the basic to the advanced? You’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a glossary that covers everything related to secure systems design, identity management, and data protection – from “A”ccess control to “Z”ero Trust.
Whether you’re looking to mature your workload IAM strategy or just need a quick reference or refresher, this glossary is here to make sure you have the precise terminology at your fingertips.
The practice of regulating access to resources or systems based on permissions and authorization policies. Secrets managers implement access control mechanisms to restrict who can view, modify, or retrieve stored secrets, ensuring that only authorized users or applications have access
A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. Secrets managers often provide APIs for programmatically accessing and managing secrets, enabling seamless integration with existing workflows and automation tools.
A server that acts as an intermediary between clients and backend services, providing features such as authentication, authorization, rate limiting, logging, and monitoring. API gateways help enforce security policies and simplify API management.
A unique identifier used to authenticate and authorize access to an API. API keys are commonly issued to developers or applications and included in API requests as a parameter or header.
The process of formally verifying or confirming the accuracy, authenticity, or compliance of a statement, document, or assertion. In the context of identity and access management (IAM) or cybersecurity, attestation typically involves validating the integrity and validity of various elements such as user identities, access permissions, configurations, or system states.
Information about a user’s identity or attributes provided by an identity provider to a service provider during the authentication process. Attribute assertions include details such as user ID, email address, roles, or group memberships, which are used to make access control decisions.
The process of verifying the identity of a user, machine, or application attempting to access a system or resource. Authentication mechanisms may include passwords, biometrics, cryptographic keys, or other factors.
The process of determining whether a user, machine, or application has permission to access a resource or perform a specific action. Authorization mechanisms enforce access control policies based on predefined rules or roles.
The process of creating and maintaining backups of password manager data to prevent data loss in case of device failure, accidental deletion, or other unforeseen events. Backup and recovery mechanisms help ensure data availability and integrity.
An access token used by non-human clients to authenticate and access protected resources or APIs. Bearer tokens are typically included in API requests as a header and provide temporary authorization without requiring additional authentication mechanisms.
An identity assigned to a software robot or bot, typically used to automate tasks or interactions with systems, applications, or APIs. Bot identities may have specific permissions and access rights tailored to their intended tasks.
A software component that extends the functionality of a web browser by adding features or capabilities. Password managers often provide browser extensions to automatically fill login forms, generate strong passwords, and facilitate secure authentication on websites.
Credentials used by non-human clients, such as applications or services, to authenticate and access protected resources or APIs. Client credentials typically consist of a client ID and client secret or other authentication tokens.
A security mechanism that allows web browsers to request resources from a different origin domain. CORS policies, defined by HTTP headers, control which cross-origin requests are allowed and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Conditional Access enables extra layers of security by allowing access to be granted based on specific conditions such as time of day, location, device type, or security posture. For example, access might be restricted based on the security posture of a device or workload, such as whether it meets certain criteria defined by an integration with security tools like CrowdStrike.
A technique used by attackers to collect or steal credentials such as passwords, API keys, or access tokens. This can be done through phishing, malware, exposed secrets, or other attack vectors. In workload IAM, credential harvesting poses a major risk, as compromised non-human identities can be used for unauthorized access and lateral movement.
A Credential Provider is responsible for securely issuing and managing short-lived credentials for workloads. This approach minimizes the risks associated with long-lived credentials and ensures that access to resources is granted only when needed, based on workload identity. Credential Provider can also store long-lived credentials such as API keys.
An identity associated with a background process or service running on a computer system, often used for system maintenance, monitoring, or other administrative tasks. Daemon identities may have limited access rights to ensure system security.
A digital document used to certify the authenticity of a machine or entity, typically issued by a trusted certificate authority (CA).
Temporary credentials or keys generated on-demand by secrets managers in response to authentication requests. Dynamic secrets have a limited lifespan and are automatically revoked or rotated after use, reducing the risk of exposure if compromised.
The process of encoding data in such a way that only authorized parties can access and decrypt it. Password managers and vaults use encryption to protect stored passwords and sensitive information, ensuring confidentiality and data security.
A mechanism that enables users to access multiple systems or services using a single set of credentials, typically managed by an identity provider (IdP). Federated identity allows for seamless authentication and authorization across different domains or organizations.
In identity and access management, governance refers to the processes and policies used to manage identities, ensure compliance with regulations, and maintain control over user access and privileges. In workload management, it refers to the strategic oversight of system workloads and resources.
Refers to the level of detail in access control. Granular access control policies allow organizations to define fine-grained permissions for users and machines, such as who can access specific workloads or data sets.
A feature used in IAM systems, especially in Active Directory environments, to manage and configure the settings of user and machine identities across an organization.
In identity management, hashing is used to store and verify credentials like passwords by converting them into a fixed-size string of characters. Hashing algorithms also play a role in managing machine identities securely.
A system design approach and associated service implementation that ensures a certain degree of operational continuity during a given time period. In workload management, HA ensures that critical workloads have minimal downtime, while IAM systems ensure users or machines have continuous access to systems.
A framework for managing and controlling access to resources, systems, and data based on the identities of users, machines, or services.
An intermediary service or component that facilitates federated authentication and authorization between identity providers and service providers. Identity brokers translate authentication protocols, handle identity mapping, and enforce access control policies across federated systems.
The process of establishing trust relationships between identity providers and service providers to enable federated identity management. Identity federation allows users to access resources across different domains or organizations using a single set of credentials.
IGA is the framework and processes used to ensure that the right individuals and machines have the appropriate access to technology resources. It integrates identity lifecycle management (provisioning, deprovisioning) with governance processes (e.g., auditing, role management, policy enforcement) to ensure compliance, security, and efficiency in managing identities.
The process of correlating user identities across different identity domains or systems. Identity mapping ensures that users are consistently identified and authenticated, regardless of the authentication mechanism or system used.
A trusted entity responsible for authenticating users and issuing identity tokens or assertions that can be used to access federated services. IdPs manage user identities and credentials, often through techniques like SAML, OAuth, or OpenID Connect.
The process of connecting secrets managers with other systems, applications, or cloud services to automate the retrieval and use of secrets. Secrets managers often provide integrations with popular development frameworks, deployment tools, and cloud platforms to streamline secret management.
A compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties, commonly used for secure authentication and authorization in distributed systems.
Kerberoasting is a post-compromise attack that exploits Kerberos authentication in Active Directory. Attackers use a low-privilege account to request service tickets for accounts with Service Principal Names (SPNs), extract the encrypted ticket data, and attempt to crack the hash offline to obtain plaintext credentials. This technique is commonly used to escalate privileges in Windows environments.
The process of regularly changing cryptographic keys or credentials to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and improve security. Secrets managers often automate key rotation to ensure that secrets are regularly updated without disrupting applications or services.
The principle of providing users, machines, or services with only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches.
A unique identifier assigned to a machine or device, typically consisting of cryptographic keys, certificates, or other credentials used for authentication and authorization.
An identity associated with a machine learning model or algorithm, used to authenticate and authorize access to data, resources, or computational resources. Machine learning identities enable secure and controlled access to sensitive information and computational resources.
Communication between non-human entities, such as machines, devices, or applications, without direct human intervention. M2M communication often relies on secure authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure data privacy and integrity.
A single, strong password used to encrypt and unlock the contents of a password manager or vault. The master password is typically the primary means of authentication and access control for the password manager, so it should be complex and carefully guarded.
An authentication method that requires users to provide multiple forms of verification, such as passwords, biometrics, or tokens, to access sensitive resources. Some secrets managers support MFA to enhance security when accessing stored secrets.
Ability to allow developers to implement authentication and access controls without needing to write any code for managing secrets or credentials. This simplifies secure access to services by eliminating manual secrets management and enabling centralized access management using identity-based policies.
A non-human identity refers to digital identities assigned to machines, applications, services, or other automated processes rather than individual users. These identities allow machines to authenticate and access resources securely, as in microservices or cloud applications.
An open standard for authorization that allows third-party applications to access resources on behalf of a user or service, often used to manage workload identity and access to APIs.
An authorization framework that enables secure access to resources over HTTP. OAuth 2.0 defines different authorization flows, including authorization code flow, implicit flow, client credentials flow, and resource owner password credentials flow, to accommodate various use cases.
An identity layer built on top of OAuth 2.0 that provides authentication services for web and mobile applications. OpenID Connect allows clients to verify the identity of end-users based on the authentication performed by an authorization server, providing user information as JWTs. It also enables federated identity management by allowing clients to verify user identity based on tokens issued by an identity provider.
An over-provisioned account has more access privileges than necessary for its role or function. This creates a security risk, as the excess privileges could be exploited by attackers or lead to unintentional access to sensitive systems.
A tool provided by password managers to create strong, randomized passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. Password generators typically allow users to specify criteria such as length, character types, and special symbols to customize generated passwords.
A software tool or service designed to securely store, manage, and retrieve passwords and other sensitive information, such as usernames, credit card numbers, and notes. Password managers often encrypt data using strong cryptographic algorithms to protect against unauthorized access.
A posture assessment evaluates the security status or “posture” of an organization’s IT environment. In IAM, it assesses how secure the current configuration of identities, access controls, and policies are, ensuring they adhere to best practices and regulatory requirements.
A proxy is an intermediary that routes requests between a client and a server, often used for security, logging, or anonymization. In IAM, proxies can be used to handle authentication, monitor access, or enforce security policies by intercepting requests before they reach the target service.
In IAM, proxyless refers to an architecture where a client interacts directly with a service or resource without an intermediary (proxy). This can be mean access cloud services using an application programming interface (API).
In IAM and workload management, a quota refers to the predefined limits set on resources that a user, machine, or application can access. For instance, quotas may restrict the number of API calls, storage usage, or the number of machines a user can provision within a cloud environment.
A method of access control where permissions are assigned to roles, and users or entities are assigned to those roles. Password managers may implement RBAC to enforce fine-grained access control and restrict access to sensitive features or data.
An identity assigned to a software robot or bot used for automating repetitive tasks or workflows. RPA identities enable secure authentication and access control for robotic process automation solutions.
A method of access control where permissions are assigned to roles, and users or entities are assigned to those roles, simplifying administration and ensuring consistent access management.
A rogue workload is an unauthorized or unmanaged workload that operates outside the governance or security policies of an organization. These workloads pose security risks, as they may lack proper identity, access controls, or monitoring, and could expose sensitive resources to threats.
An XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between identity providers and service providers. SAML enables single sign-on (SSO) and federated identity management across different systems or domains.
Any sensitive piece of information that should be protected from unauthorized access, including passwords, cryptographic keys, tokens, and other credentials used to authenticate users or access resources.
The process of periodically updating secrets to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or misuse. Secret rotation is essential for maintaining security hygiene and compliance with industry standards and regulations.
A centralized service or tool used to securely store, manage, and distribute sensitive information, such as passwords, API keys, cryptographic keys, and other credentials. Secrets managers help organizations improve security by reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
The practice of maintaining multiple versions of secrets to facilitate rollback, auditing, and compliance requirements. Secrets managers often support versioning to track changes over time and ensure that previous versions of secrets remain accessible when needed.
An identity used by applications or services to authenticate and authorize their interactions with other services, resources, or APIs. Service accounts are often used in automated processes and workflows.
A unique identifier assigned to a service or application workload, typically associated with access control policies and permissions within a computing environment. Service identities enable secure communication and interaction between different components of a system.
A system, application, or service that relies on an identity provider for authentication and authorization. Service providers accept identity tokens or assertions from the IdP to grant access to their resources or functionalities.
Authentication mechanism used between services or applications to establish trust and securely exchange information without human involvement. Service-to-service authentication often relies on cryptographic protocols, such as OAuth 2.0, to authenticate and authorize interactions.
Secure Shell (SSH) keys are cryptographic keys used for secure remote access to machines or systems, providing authentication and encryption for communication.
A mechanism that allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple systems or services without needing to re-authenticate. SSO enhances user experience and productivity while reducing the burden of managing multiple sets of credentials.
The process of synchronizing data between multiple devices or platforms to ensure consistency and accessibility. Password managers often support syncing to enable users to access their passwords and sensitive information across different devices and environments.
A secretless architecture refers to systems where applications and services authenticate and communicate without the need to manage secrets directly (e.g., passwords, tokens, or API keys). Instead, they rely on dynamically generated, just-in-time mechanisms for identity or access.
STS (such as AWS Security Token Service) is a cloud service that provides temporary, limited-privilege credentials for authenticated users or workloads. These tokens allow access to resources for a specific duration, reducing the need for long-term credentials and improving security.
A service account token is a credential used by service accounts (non-human identities) to authenticate with systems and services. These tokens are often used by applications or services running in environments like Kubernetes to access resources without human interaction.
SDLC is a structured process for developing software, consisting of phases such as planning, designing, coding, testing, deploying, and maintaining. In IAM, the SDLC is critical for ensuring that identity and access controls are built securely into software products throughout their development.
An SDK is a set of tools, libraries, and documentation that enables developers to build software applications for specific platforms or services. In IAM, SDKs are often provided by IAM solutions or cloud providers to allow seamless integration of identity and access management functionality into applications.
SPIFFE is an open-source framework for providing secure, cryptographic identities to services and workloads in dynamic, distributed systems like microservices. It defines standards for identity creation, verification, and lifecycle management across different cloud and infrastructure environments.
SPIRE is the production-grade implementation of the SPIFFE specification. It is a system that manages, issues, and verifies SPIFFE identities across distributed systems, ensuring workloads are properly authenticated within microservices environments.
A cryptographic protocol that provides secure communication over a computer network. TLS is commonly used to encrypt API traffic and protect sensitive information from eavesdropping and tampering.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates provide secure communication over a network by encrypting data transmitted between machines, often used in web servers, APIs, and other network services.
A piece of data used for authentication or authorization, typically issued by an identity provider or authentication service. Tokens may include access tokens, refresh tokens, session tokens, or JWTs, depending on the authentication mechanism and protocol used.
A technique where attackers create or manipulate authentication tokens to gain unauthorized access to systems or services. By forging tokens, attackers can impersonate legitimate non-human identities, bypass authentication controls, and escalate privileges within an environment. Proper validation, short token lifespans, and cryptographic integrity checks help mitigate this risk.
A mutual agreement or configuration between identity providers and service providers that establishes trust and enables federated identity management. Trust relationships define the rules and protocols for exchanging identity tokens, assertions, and attributes securely.
An authentication method that requires users to provide two forms of verification to access an account or system. Password managers and vaults often support 2FA to enhance security by requiring an additional factor, such as a code from a mobile app or a hardware token.
A Trust Provider is a component that verifies the identity of workloads (applications, services) using cryptographically verifiable methods, such as certificates. Trust Providers are used to ensure that only verified and trusted workloads can access sensitive resources or other services.
Universal IAM refers to a unified approach to identity and access management that spans multiple environments, platforms, and services. This can also unify user and non-human identities. It enables organizations to manage identities and access controls consistently across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, providing seamless identity lifecycle management and access governance.
A secure repository or container used to store and manage sensitive information, such as passwords, cryptographic keys, certificates, and API tokens. Vaults employ encryption and access control mechanisms to safeguard stored data from unauthorized access or disclosure.
A specific task, application, or process running on a machine or within a computing environment, often associated with cloud-based or distributed systems.
Workload Identity Federation allows workloads running in one environment (e.g., on-premises or a third-party cloud) to authenticate and access resources in another environment (e.g., public cloud) without managing long-term credentials. It typically leverages federated trust models like OIDC (OpenID Connect) for secure authentication.
X.509 is a standard defining the format of public key certificates. These certificates are used in cryptographic systems (like SSL/TLS) to securely verify identities through a trusted certificate authority (CA), commonly used in IAM for machine and workload identity verification.
An X.509 certificate is a digital certificate that uses the X.509 standard to authenticate the identity of machines, applications, or users. It contains a public key, identity information, and is signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA), making it critical for secure communication in networks.
YAML is a human-readable data serialization format used to define configuration data, often in DevOps and cloud environments. In IAM and workload management, YAML is frequently used in configuration files for systems like Kubernetes, where identity and access policies are defined for workloads. Formerly known as Yet Another Markup Language.
A security framework that assumes no entity, either inside or outside the network, should be automatically trusted. It mandates continuous verification of the security status of identities, devices, and network traffic before granting access to resources.
