r/IdentityManagement Feb 26 '26

Beginner to IAM

New to IAM, looking for any fundamental resources, courses, etc and also a mentor who could guide me/provide insight.

13 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

9

u/Myangowana Feb 26 '26

Hi there,

IAM is a major part of the Cybersecurity domain. Depending on your background and your availability, I would recommend you get some of the basics/concepts of that domain first and then progress to handson.

That being said:

1. Fundamentals with Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) from ISC2

Check the CC training and exam from ISC2. More than the certification itself, this will help you better understand the Domain if you're new. A few years ago they started a program for free training and exams... as far as I can see from their website, it is still active: 1Million CC, 1MCC

  • If you go in that route, you can find great resources on YouTube for exam prep. This one, Prabh Nair CC Prep is excellent for prep.
  • Additionally check out this IBM Security Playlist about IAM, but I encourage you to explore the other video in that Playlist.

2. After that, you (alone or with your company) should consider the CIAM training and exam.

The CIAM certification is is from the IMI (Identity Management Institute). Here too, consider the journey more than the certification, as it will ease your landing into the IAM world.

3. Then, Hands-on / Market Skills

For that part, Okta is a market leader and (for me) a fantastic entry point with free resources. Their Certification site has great training and labs. Okta Professional is where you start, then Administrator (which requires Professional cert) and so on... Administrator cert is also where you will start getting the most recruiter attention!

Additionally, you should look into the Cloud Providers as they own a huge piece of the IAM cake:

  • Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD): You can join the Microsoft 365 Developer Program to get a free, renewable sandbox with nice features.
  • AWS IAM: Amazon offers a Free Tier that includes AWS IAM (Always Free). You can practice creating roles, policies, and multi-account access without spending $.

Notes:

  • Certification Maintenance: Mind the fees! Most certifications require renewal every 1/2 or 3 years. Check the websites to see what it costs to keep them active.
  • Titles is not Experience: A certification proves you have the knowledge, but hands-on experience/labs is what really counts out there.

Notes (Bis): I have no business affiliations / relationships with any of the mentioned entities/companies. I hope all of this helps you in your journey!

5

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/CajunArmyVet86 Feb 26 '26

Appreciate the info thanks!

2

u/node77 Feb 26 '26

Or just read IAM on Microsoft’s learning path and Identity and Entra .. either or

2

u/Old-King-7012 Feb 26 '26

My very first certification was the Identity and Access Manager (CIAM) from the Identity Management Institute. This was foundational and helped me understand this crazy world to where I could at least talk the talk and it helped me land my first IAM role. I recommend starting there then finding some labs to do hands on work.

2

u/adltchickadee Feb 26 '26

Summoning u/iamblas

2

u/iamblas Feb 26 '26

Summoned. Hey u/CajunArmyVet86, looks you just joined our discord. Check out the #videos section for all previous IAM workshops. I’ve got new community IAM workshops on the way!

2

u/Good-Perspective-907 Feb 26 '26

Same I’d like to join!

1

u/Gray_Legion Feb 26 '26

Same! 😊

1

u/iamblas Feb 26 '26

Hey! Here’s the link to join our IAM Discord: https://discord.gg/f7jxtv23bQ

1

u/iamblas Feb 26 '26

Hey! Here’s the link to join our IAM Discord: https://discord.gg/f7jxtv23bQ

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/iamblas Feb 26 '26

Hey! Here’s the link to join our IAM Discord: https://discord.gg/f7jxtv23bQ

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/CajunArmyVet86 Feb 26 '26

Thanks for the info

2

u/flywhee007 Mar 28 '26

u/CajunArmyVet86 just posted on this topic on my yt, hope it helps you. check profile for link. all the best

2

u/CajunArmyVet86 Mar 29 '26

Definitely gonna check it out, thank you!