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October 1, 2025
12 min read

Identity 101: Acronyms in Identity Management – A Comprehensive Guide

Renjith Babu

Identity management is full of acronyms: IAM, CIAM, SSO, MFA, SAML, OAuth, FIDO2... This comprehensive guide explains essential IAM terms in plain language.

Core Identity Acronyms

IAMIdentity and Access Management

The discipline of managing digital identities and their access to resources

CIAMCustomer Identity and Access Management

IAM specifically for external customers and consumers

SSOSingle Sign-On

One authentication grants access to multiple applications

MFAMulti-Factor Authentication

Using multiple verification methods (something you know, have, are)

SAMLSecurity Assertion Markup Language

XML-based standard for exchanging authentication data

OAuthOpen Authorization

Protocol for delegated access without sharing credentials

OIDCOpenID Connect

Identity layer built on top of OAuth 2.0

FIDO2Fast Identity Online 2

Passwordless authentication standard using public key cryptography

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About SecureAuth

SecureAuth provides identity and access management solutions that enable enterprises to implement customized, resilient authentication infrastructure. Through Continuous Authority, flexible deployment options, and deep composable capabilities, SecureAuth helps organizations defend against modern identity threats while maintaining usability and operational efficiency.

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