Internet of Things | By Solutions | Your needs | IPG - Experts in IAM (Identity and Access Management)

The Internet of Things and identity management Identity and authorisation management, including for devices

It makes sense to manage Internet of Things (IoT) devices in a way similar to how employee identities are managed in and with an IDM system. From a purely technical perspective, there are many similarities between people and devices and many of the workflows are similar, even identical. Unfortunately, on closer inspection it is not that easy to put into practice.

Challanges

On the surface, just managing devices in IoT is very similar to managing "normal" identities, but it is only when it comes to managing permissions that the differences between humans and devices become evident. Questions arise relatively quickly:

How selectively does the device operate?
How much intelligence can I assume the device has?
Which processes are affected?
Are there processes that need to be adapted?

Your Chances

If there are many devices from possibly different manufacturers in the portfolio that serve different tasks, the idea of central administration via an IDM tool becomes more attractive, despite higher expenditure. Especially with a large, heterogeneous number of smart devices, a procedure with tool support reduces the administrative effort while simultaneously increasing company security.

Use

Already standardised IDM workflows, such as "entry" or "exit" in a company, can be reused for devices with minimal changes. Devices are recorded, given a unique identity and a responsible body.

Our Services

It is possible to implement the idea of managing IoT devices with an IDM system. However, it requires a strong partner who is well versed in identity and access management in addition to the world of IoT. Missing standards must be created based on experience and expertise. This is the only way to find the best solution for the respective application and to formulate a suitable definition of IoT.