Term · 27. Emerging Categories 2024-2026
Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management CIEM
Definition
Discovery, analysis, and remediation of permissions held by identities (human + non-human) across cloud infrastructure platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP). Coined by Gartner in 2020 to address cloud permission sprawl — typical enterprises grant 10× more permissions than identities use. CIEM tools continuously map effective permissions, detect toxic combinations (privilege escalation paths), and right-size least-privilege.
- Synonyms
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- Cloud entitlement management (legacy)
- Application
- Regulatory: Gartner Magic Quadrant / Hype Cycle · NIST SP 800-63 (Digital Identity Guidelines)
- Standards & regulations
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- Gartner
- NIST
- Sources
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