The Evolution of Cloud Security Frameworks: Identity Management and Zero Trust Implementation in Distributed Systems

Security and privacy have always been major concerns in cloud computing environments, and with the increasing complexity of distributed cloud systems, these concerns have become even more critical. This paper reviews the evolution of security and privacy practices, focusing on the shift from Identity and Access Management (IAM) to Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). IAM has long been a cornerstone of cloud security, allowing organizations to manage access to resources through policies and authentication methods. However, as cloud systems become more distributed and users and devices access resources from various locations, IAM’s limitations have become apparent. Zero Trust, which operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify”, is gaining momentum as a robust security model that addresses these limitations. This review explores the key principles of IAM, the shift towards Zero Trust, the challenges faced by organizations in securing distributed cloud environments, and best practices for enhancing both security and privacy in such systems.