Identity & Access Management-Learn LDAP, SAML, OAuth, OpenID (Udemy.com)

Identity management, also known as identity and access management, is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring that the proper people in an enterprise have the appropriate access to technology resources.

Importance of Identity Security :

Identity Security empowers workers with simple and secure access to business resources using single sign-on and adaptive multi-factor authentication. Passwordless authentication improves the strength of security and reduces the friction involved for end users.

Identity security describes the proactive approach to safely controlling user and system information that is used to authenticate and authorize user identities for access to secure resources. It is an essential aspect of the identity and access management (IAM) space and serves as the cornerstone for security in any organization.

Do you struggle to explain the difference between authentication and authorization? Are you a security or IT professional trying to build a solid understanding of Identity and Access Management — from core protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect through to hands-on Azure RBAC and LDAP implementation?

Identity is the new perimeter. In a world of cloud applications, remote workforces, and Zero Trust security models, controlling who has access to what — and proving it to auditors — is the most critical security function in any organization.

This course gives you a complete, structured understanding of Identity and Access Management — from foundational IAM concepts through federation protocols, access control models, identity lifecycle management, and hands-on labs in Azure RBAC and LDAP using Windows Server.

What Makes This Course Different?

• Covers all major identity federation protocols like SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect — with a direct comparison of when to use each

• LDAP deep dive : how LDAP works, Directory Information Trees, Object Classes, and a hands-on lab building an LDAP server using Windows Server

• Azure RBAC lab : hands-on implementation of Role Based Access Control in Microsoft Azure

• Covers 4 access control models like RBAC, Rule-Based, MAC, and DAC  in dedicated lectures

• Complete IAM lifecycle coverage : provisioning, deprovisioning, user access reviews, and system account reviews

• Covers AWS Cognito - cloud-native identity management for modern applications

• Includes NIST guidance on Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) - the next evolution beyond RBAC

• Addresses Federated Identity Management (FIM) - including IDP selection, relying parties, and secure tokens

What You Will Learn

IAM Foundations

• What Identity and Access Management is and why it is the cornerstone of organizational security

• The difference between Identity Management and Access Management — and why both matter

• The critical difference between Authentication and Authorization — and how they work together

• What Accounting means in the context of IAM - the third pillar of AAA security

IAM Basics & Core Terminologies

• What Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is and how it strengthens identity verification

• What Context-Based Access Management is and how it enables adaptive, risk-aware access decisions

• What LDAP is and how it works as a directory services protocol

• What Federated Identity means and how it enables cross-organizational identity trust

• How to make the right IDP (Identity Provider) selection decision for your organization

• Key concepts - Secure Tokens, Identity Providers, and Relying Parties — explained clearly

Identity Federation & Protocols

• How Single Sign-On (SSO) works and why it is essential for modern enterprise security

• What SAML is, how it works, and when to use it for enterprise identity federation

• What OAuth is, how its authorization flow works, and its role in API security

• What OpenID Connect is and how it extends OAuth for authentication

• A direct SAML vs OpenID Connect vs OAuth comparison — when to use which protocol

• What AWS Cognito is and how it manages identity for cloud-native applications

• Additional learning on Federated Identity Management (FIM) best practices

LDAP Deep Dive

• How LDAP works in depth — the protocol, operations, and directory structure

• Understanding LDAP and the Directory Information Tree (DIT) - how directory data is organized

• What Object Classes are in LDAP and how they define directory entries

• Hands-on lab: Build an LDAP server using Windows Server — from setup to connection

• How to connect to Directory Services and query LDAP directories

Access Control Models

• Role Based Access Control (RBAC) : assigning permissions based on organizational roles

• Rule Based Access Control : dynamic access decisions based on defined rules and conditions

• Mandatory Access Control (MAC) : system-enforced access based on classification labels

• Discretionary Access Control (DAC) : owner-controlled access permissions and delegation

Identity & Access Lifecycle Management

• Overview of the common IAM implementation process : planning, design, and deployment

• How to conduct User Access Reviews : validating that access rights remain appropriate

• How to conduct System Account Access Reviews : managing non-human privileged accounts

• Provisioning and Deprovisioning : managing the full identity lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding

Additional Learning & Labs