External or third-party identities — such as contractors, vendors, consultants, partners, and suppliers — now make up a large and rapidly growing portion of users accessing enterprise systems. Yet despite their prevalence, these users remain significantly under-protected, creating a critical gap in many organizations’ identity and access management strategies. Business-to-business Identity and Access Management (B2B IAM) addresses this challenge directly. When implemented effectively, B2B IAM strengthens security against identity-based threats, reduces the operational burden of managing non-employee identities, and lays the foundation for a zero-trust approach across the extended enterprise. This research report examines the rise of B2B IAM as a vital solution for managing third-party identities, highlighting its unique security, operational, and business benefits within the broader IAM landscape.
