CIAM
CIAM is the acronym for Customer Identity and Access Management.
Customer Identity and Access Management
A subset of identity and access management (IAM) specifically focused on managing and securing customer identities, preferences, and access permissions across digital touchpoints. Unlike traditional IAM, which centers on internal employee access, CIAM is designed to handle the scale, performance, and user experience needs of public-facing applications and services.
CIAM solutions enable businesses to authenticate users (e.g., through login forms, social login, or multifactor authentication), manage consent and privacy preferences, and provide personalized user experiences. Key features typically include registration flows, profile management, single sign-on (SSO), passwordless login, identity federation, consent management, and data unification across systems.
Modern CIAM platforms also support compliance with global data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA by capturing, storing, and honoring user consent. In addition, CIAM systems often provide customer data insights, helping marketers and product teams deliver more targeted and secure experiences.
By balancing security, compliance, and usability, CIAM is a foundational component for businesses seeking to deliver seamless, personalized, and trusted digital experiences at scale.
Related Martech Zone Content
