Definition
Unique representation of an entity (human, service, workload, agent) in digital systems, distinct from account (which is the system-specific access record). One identity may have many accounts across systems. ISO/IEC 24760-1: «set of attributes related to an entity». Foundational concept underlying IDM, IGA, PAM, CIAM.
- Application
- MidPoint: The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
SailPoint: Identity Cube — the central identity object in IdentityIQ aggregating attributes from authoritative sources
Related terms
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Identity Provider (IdP)
System that authenticates users and issues identity assertions (SAML responses, OIDC ID tokens) to relying parties. Cent …
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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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Relying Party (RP)
Application or service that depends on an Identity Provider to authenticate users and provide identity assertions. In SA …
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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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Entity
Anything that can be assigned a digital identity and act in systems — humans, service accounts, API clients, AI agents, …