The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Identity assertion: Identity assertion is the process by which a system verifies and confirms a user's claimed identity during an authentication event. This typically involves checking credentials like passwords, tokens, or biometric data against stored identity information to grant or deny access.

Identity deprovisioning: The process of revoking access to an individual's identity and associated resources. It is commonly used in IAM systems to ensure that individuals who are no longer authorized to access certain resources are unable to do so. Examples of identity deprovisioning include disabling a user's account or deleting a user's access permissions.

Identity Lifecycle - Job or duties review: As part of the identity lifecycle, job or duties review involves regularly reviewing and updating the roles and responsibilities of users within an organization. This is typically done to ensure that users have the appropriate access and permissions for their job duties and to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information. An example of a job or duties review as part of the identity lifecycle is conducting an annual review of user roles and permissions to ensure that they are in line with current job responsibilities.

Identity Lifecycle - User behavior review: As part of the identity lifecycle, user behavior review involves regularly reviewing and monitoring the actions and activities of users to identify any suspicious or unusual behavior. This is typically done to identify potential security threats or breaches within an organization. An example of user behavior review as part of the identity lifecycle is using security analytics software to monitor user activity on a network and alert security personnel of any suspicious activity.

Identity proofing: The process of verifying the identity of an individual through the use of multiple pieces of evidence. It is commonly used in IAM systems to ensure that only authorized individuals are able to access certain resources. Examples of identity proofing include using a combination of a password and a security token to access a system. It should be noted that identity proofing is both about verifying one's identity and verifying the legitimacy of the evidence used to prove the identity.

Identity provider (IdP): An entity that provides authentication services to verify the identity of an individual or system. IdPs are commonly used in single sign-on systems to securely verify the identity of users accessing multiple applications. Examples include Google and Microsoft as IDps for their respective services.