IAM

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

IAM
Stands forIdentity and access management
Meanings2
CategoriesTechnology & Computing, Organizations & Companies

IAM has two meanings. It stands for Identity and access management (cybersecurity) or International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (professional association and labor union).

Meanings of IAM at a glance

#IAM stands forContext
1Identity and access managementTechnology & Computing › Cybersecurity
2International Association of Machinists and Aerospace WorkersOrganizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union

1. Identity and access management

Technology & Computing · Cybersecurity Abbreviations

The policies, processes and technologies that control who can access which systems and data, covering accounts, authentication, roles, permissions and the joiner-mover-leaver lifecycle. In AWS and Google Cloud, IAM is also the service that manages users, roles and policies.

Example: The audit found 40 IAM users with admin rights who hadn't logged in for a year.

Core principles include least privilege and regular access reviews. Identity has become the main security perimeter in cloud environments, so misconfigured IAM policies are a leading cause of breaches. Vendors include Okta, Microsoft Entra and Ping Identity. Related areas are privileged access management and identity governance.

2. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations

Union covering workers in aerospace, airlines, railroads, manufacturing, automotive service and government in North America, including tens of thousands of Boeing employees.

Example: IAM members at Boeing ended their seven-week strike after approving a 38 percent raise.

Founded in 1888 by railroad machinists in Atlanta, it has represented Boeing's factory workers for decades. Its 2024 strike at Boeing's Seattle-area plants lasted 53 days. In information security, IAM means identity and access management.

More cybersecurity abbreviations

  • GRC – Governance, risk and compliance
  • HMAC – Hash-based message authentication code
  • HSM – Hardware security module
  • HSTS – HTTP Strict Transport Security
  • IDS – Intrusion detection system
  • IoC – Indicator of compromise
  • IPS – Intrusion prevention system
  • IR – Incident response

See all 119 cybersecurity abbreviations →

More professional association and labor union abbreviations

  • FINRA – Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
  • FOP – Fraternal Order of Police
  • GMB – GMB
  • IAFF – International Association of Fire Fighters
  • IATSE – International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
  • IBEW – International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
  • IBT – International Brotherhood of Teamsters
  • IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

See all 95 professional association and labor union abbreviations →