Definition
Anything that can be assigned a digital identity and act in systems — humans, service accounts, API clients, AI agents, workloads, IoT devices, organizations. Broader than «user» (which typically implies human). Used in identity standards (SAML, OAuth, NIST SP 800-63) to refer to any actor.
- Application
- MidPoint: Being (such as person or animal), thing, concept or anything else that has recognizably distinct existence.
- Standards & regulations
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- ISO/IEC 24760-1:2019 «entity: item relevant for the purpose of identity management about which information is maintained»
- ISO/IEC 24760-2:2015 «entity: item relevant for the purpose of identity management about which information is maintained»
- ISO/IEC 24760-3:2016 «entity: item relevant for the purpose of identity management about which information is maintained»
Related terms
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Access Management (AM)
Discipline of granting and enforcing access to resources after identity has been established. Encompasses authentication …
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CIAM (CIAM)
Customer Identity and Access Management — specialized IAM for managing customer (not employee) identities. Differs from …
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Digital Identity (DI)
Set of attributes, credentials, and identifiers that uniquely represent a person or non-human entity in digital systems. …
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Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Umbrella discipline covering identity creation/management, authentication, authorization, and audit across an organizati …
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Identity Governance (IG)
Discipline of policies, processes, and oversight ensuring identities have appropriate access — no more, no less — throug …
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Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)
Gartner-defined category combining identity governance (policies, access reviews, compliance) with administration (provi …