Identity Management Software

Identity management software is a category of security technology designed to manage digital identities and control how users access systems, applications, and data across an organization. This type of software provides a centralized identity repository that stores user identities, credentials, and attributes, enabling consistent user and access management throughout the enterprise. As organizations moved from on-premises systems to distributed networks, cloud services, and SaaS applications, manual account administration became unsustainable. Identity management software emerged to support identity lifecycle management, ensuring that identities are created, updated, and removed in alignment with employment status, role changes, and policy requirements.

Modern identity management software typically integrates capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO), multifactor authentication (MFA), and federated identity management to balance usability with security. SSO reduces password sprawl and login friction, while MFA strengthens authentication by requiring additional verification beyond passwords. Federated identity management allows organizations to securely extend access across trusted external systems without duplicating accounts. Together, these capabilities reduce reliance on static credentials, improve secure authorization, and limit the risk of compromised tokens being reused across environments.

Access decisions within identity management software are governed by structured policies, often combining role-based and attribute-based access controls. Role-based access controls align access with job functions, while attribute-based access controls evaluate contextual data such as location, device posture, or user attributes for more granular enforcement. Identity governance features support audits and reporting by providing visibility into who has access to what systems, how that access was granted, and whether it remains appropriate over time. This visibility is critical for regulatory compliance, internal reviews, and reducing excess permissions that increase attack surfaces and operational risk.

Imprivata Enterprise Access Management (EAM) builds on these identity management software principles by delivering centralized identity governance, access management, and secure authorization across complex enterprise environments. Imprivata EAM helps organizations streamline identity lifecycle management, enforce consistent access policies, and integrate SSO, MFA, and federated identity management within a unified platform. By reducing administrative overhead, improving audit readiness through robust reporting, and minimizing security gaps associated with unmanaged credentials, Imprivata supports stronger cybersecurity outcomes and measurable financial benefits for IT, security, and compliance teams.