Difference between Microsoft Entra ID and Amazon IAM (Identity and Access Management)

Microsoft Entra ID and Amazon IAM (Identity and Access Management) are identity management services provided by Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS), respectively. While they serve similar fundamental purposes of managing user identities and access permissions within their respective ecosystems, there are key differences in their implementation and features:

Microsoft Entra ID

1. Purpose:

   • Identity Management: Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory or AAD) is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and access control for applications and resources in the Microsoft ecosystem.
   • Integration: It integrates closely with Microsoft 365, Azure services, and other Microsoft applications, allowing centralized management of user identities across these services.

2. Features:

   • Single Sign-On (SSO): Enables users to sign in once with their Entra ID credentials and access multiple applications and resources without re-entering their credentials.
   • Access Control: Provides granular access management through roles, groups, and permissions, allowing administrators to control who can access which resources.
   • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhances security by requiring additional verification steps beyond just a password, such as SMS code, app notification, or biometric authentication.

3. Use Cases:

   • Used primarily within the Microsoft ecosystem for managing access to Microsoft 365 services, Azure resources, Windows Server Active Directory, and custom applications integrated with Entra ID.

Amazon IAM (Identity and Access Management)

1. Purpose:

   • Identity Management: Amazon IAM is a service that helps you securely control access to AWS services and resources for your users.
   • Integration: It is tightly integrated with AWS services, allowing administrators to manage access permissions to AWS resources such as EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and RDS databases.

2. Features:

   • Access Policies: Allows administrators to define access policies that specify which actions users or groups can perform on specific AWS resources.
   • IAM Roles: Provides IAM roles for delegating access to AWS services or resources across accounts or services without sharing long-term credentials.
   • Identity Federation: Supports integration with external identity providers (IdPs) for SSO scenarios, including SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect.

3. Use Cases:

   • Used within AWS environments to manage user access to AWS services, enforce security best practices, and implement least privilege principles.
   • Essential for managing permissions for applications running on AWS, integrating with third-party tools via IAM roles, and enforcing compliance and security policies.

Comparison

• Ecosystem: Microsoft Entra ID is tailored for the Microsoft ecosystem, including Azure and Microsoft 365, whereas Amazon IAM is specific to managing access within AWS services.

• Integration: Entra ID integrates with Microsoft applications and services, while IAM integrates tightly with AWS services and resources.

• Features: Both provide core identity management capabilities such as SSO, access control, and multi-factor authentication, but Entra ID focuses on Microsoft technologies, whereas IAM is optimized for AWS.