Understanding the Key Differences: IAM, IGA, and PAM Explained

In today’s digital-first world, managing who has access to what across an organization’s systems is crucial for security and compliance. As enterprises grow and adopt cloud technologies, identity-related risks increase. That’s where identity-focused security solutions come in—primarily IAM, IGA, and PAM. While they are closely related and often work together, each serves a distinct purpose.

Let’s break them down in simple terms.

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Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM is the umbrella term that defines the framework of policies, processes, and technologies used to manage digital identities and control access to resources.

What IAM does:

• Ensures that only authorized users can access the right resources at the right time.

• Handles authentication (who are you?) and authorization (what can you access?).

• Supports single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and role-based access control (RBAC).

Think of IAM as:

A gatekeeper that verifies your identity and checks whether you have the key to enter a room.

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Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

IGA is a subset of IAM that focuses on governance, compliance, and lifecycle management of identities.

What IGA adds:

• Automates user provisioning and deprovisioning (joiners, movers, leavers).

• Facilitates access reviews, certifications, and role management.

• Ensures compliance with regulatory standards (e.g., SOX, GDPR, HIPAA).

• Provides audit trails and reporting for who has access to what and why.

Think of IGA as:

The manager who not only tracks who enters the room but also decides if they should still be allowed, reviews it regularly, and documents it for audits.

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Privileged Access Management (PAM)

PAM focuses specifically on securing, managing, and monitoring privileged accounts—those with elevated access rights like system administrators, database admins, or DevOps engineers.

What PAM does:

• Protects administrator/root credentials and critical infrastructure access.

• Enables just-in-time access, session recording, and password vaulting.

• Prevents misuse or abuse of privileged access, whether accidental or malicious.

• Detects and stops lateral movement in cyber-attacks.

Think of PAM as:

The vault that locks away the master keys, only allowing trusted users to borrow them for a limited time while watching their actions.

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How They Work Together

• IAM handles general identity and access.

• IGA ensures that identities are managed properly, in line with compliance and security policies.

• PAM secures high-risk, powerful accounts from insider threats and external breaches.

In a modern enterprise, all three are essential pieces of a zero-trust security strategy.

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Final Thoughts

Organizations aiming for strong cybersecurity hygiene can’t ignore the differences between IAM, IGA, and PAM. While IAM lays the foundation, IGA ensures it is built on compliance, and PAM guards the crown jewels.

In summary: