How does identity management contribute to cloud security?

Identity management plays a critical role in cloud security by helping to control user access and verifying identities. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access cloud resources and perform actions within the cloud environment. Through mechanisms such as authentication (verifying who the user is), authorization (controlling what resources a user can access and what actions they can perform), and user provisioning (managing user accounts and permissions), identity management establishes a secure perimeter around cloud data and applications.

By effectively managing identities, organizations can reduce the risk of unauthorized access, which is a key aspect of maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information stored in the cloud. If a user’s identity is not accurately verified, or if access controls are not properly implemented, it increases the potential for security breaches, data loss, or compliance violations.

The other choices do not directly relate to the core functions of identity management in the same way. While encryption, traffic monitoring, and data backup are essential to overall cloud security strategies, they do not specifically address how identity management functions to ensure that the right individuals have the appropriate access to cloud resources.