Identity Management: Setting the Context

Traditionally, identity management has been a core component of system security environments where it has been used for the maintenance of account information for login access to a system or a limited set of applications. An administrator issues accounts so that resource access can be restricted and monitored. Control has been the primary focus for identity management. More recently, however, identity management has exploded out of the sole purview of information security professionals and has become a key enabler for electronic business.