Learn the IAM foundation in the order that builds.
The concepts every IAM job posting assumes you already have: identity lifecycle, access control models, authentication and MFA, federation, and NIST compliance. Free, self-paced, no card required.
The material exists. The order doesn't.
Everything you need is already out there:
- Vendor docs written for people who already know
- Videos in no particular order
- Advice that says get a cert without saying which one or when
None of it tells you what a job posting is actually asking for. So you study a lot and can't tell if any of it counts. Do that for a few months and you start to wonder if it's you.
It isn't. Nobody should have to guess their way into this field.
Every concept that comes up in IAM job descriptions and interviews.
Structured around what you actually need to know, not what's easiest to teach.
IAM Fundamentals
Identity lifecycle, provisioning, authentication, and authorization. The vocabulary every IAM job description uses, understood properly, not just memorized.
Access Control Models
RBAC, ABAC, PBAC, MAC, and DAC: what each one is, when to use it, and how to talk about it confidently in interviews and on the job.
Authentication & MFA
What authentication actually means and how MFA works end to end. The concepts behind every login flow you'll touch on the job.
Federation & SSO
SAML, SCIM, and how identity crosses organizational boundaries. The concepts behind every enterprise SSO implementation you'll encounter in any IAM role.
Compliance & NIST
How IAM maps to NIST 800-63A, 800-63B, and 800-63C. What auditors ask for, why it matters, and how to talk about compliance before your first IAM role.
Built by a Hiring-Side Practitioner
Sequenced by someone who's been on both sides of the interview table, not theory dumped from a textbook.
Andrew Chanthaphone
14+ Years in IAM
When I started in identity there was nobody to ask and nothing to read but a vendor user guide. This is the course I needed then. 14+ years of architecting and deploying identity solutions across federal and enterprise environments later, I've also been on the hiring side, and I know what actually gets people the job. This course is built around that, not around what's easiest to teach.
- Identiverse Speaker
- LinkedIn Learning Creator
- Identity at the Center Podcast
7 chapters. 36 lessons. Everything sequenced to build on itself.
01Welcome and Getting Started2 lessons
- Welcome!
- Welcome and Getting Started Free preview
02Identity Basics & User Lifecycle Management9 lessons
- Introduction to Module 1
- CIA Triad
- AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting)
- Overview: User Lifecycle Management
- Joiner Process
- Mover Process
- Leaver Process
- Consultant Corner: User Lifecycle Management
- Joiner/Mover/Leaver in Action
03Authentication and MFA4 lessons
- Introduction to Module 2
- What is Authentication
- Authentication — Deeper Dive
- Authentik — MFA in Action
04Authorization Models6 lessons
- Introduction to Module 3
- Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) Free preview
- Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC)
- Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
- Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
05Federation and Single Sign-On6 lessons
- Introduction to Module 4 Free preview
- What is Federation
- What is SSO
- System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM)
- Federation and SSO — Whiteboarding Session
- Authentik — SSO in Action
06IAM + Compliance (NIST 800-63)7 lessons
- Introduction to Module 5 Free preview
- How does Compliance and IAM Work Together?
- Intro to NIST 800-63
- NIST 800-63A — Identity Proofing
- NIST 800-63B — Authentication Assurance
- NIST 800-63C — Federation and Assertions
- How NIST 800-63 is Used in the Workforce
07Wrap Up2 lessons
- Congratulations
- IAM Career Launchpad — Course Survey
Three steps. The first one is free.
Enroll free
No card and no trial clock. Essentials is free forever, so there's nothing to pay off later.
Work the 7 chapters in order
36 lessons, each one building on the last. Watch it in a week or take a month.
Know where you stand
Open a job posting and tell which parts you have and which you don't. Then take the 9-step career roadmap into whatever comes next.
What students say about learning with Andrew.
From the IAM Career Launchpad course and 1:1 coaching. The same teaching approach this course is built on.
“Spent the weekend going through Andrew's IAM Career Launchpad and I am glad I did. The course took a deep dive into key IAM components.”
“The clear explanation of how NIST guidelines shape identity validation connected a lot of dots for me.”
“Knowing which acronym to use in a specific environment and the why behind it is most important. Andrew's course delivers exactly that kind of practical clarity — not just theory.”
Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.
Essentials gives you everything to build on, free. Launchpad adds real hands-on lab access and the career roadmap when you're ready to go all in.
IAM Essentials
7 chapters, 36 lessons, plus the IAM career roadmap as a bonus.
- 7 chapters · 36 lessons
- Bonus: the 9-step IAM career roadmap
- IAM fundamentals through NIST compliance
- Lifetime access
IAM Career Launchpad
Everything in Essentials — plus your own hands-on lab for a full year and the full IAM career roadmap.
- Everything in Essentials
- Your own real lab for a full year — all 7 hands-on labs
- One 45-min 1:1 with Andrew
- Proven IAM career roadmap
- Lifetime access · 30-day money-back guarantee
Essentials vs Launchpad at a glance.
Same 7-chapter foundation in both. Launchpad adds hands-on lab access and the career roadmap for people ready to go all in.
| Essentials | Launchpad | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 chapters · 36 lessons | ||
| IAM career roadmap | ||
| Lifetime access | ||
| Your own hands-on lab, for a full year | No | |
| 45-min 1:1 session | No | |
| 30-day money-back guarantee | No |
Essentials is free with no catch. Choose Launchpad when you want the hands-on labs and the roadmap that comes with a guarantee behind it.
Questions people ask before enrolling.
Do I need any prior experience to take this course?
No. IAM Essentials is built for people with little or no prior IAM experience. If you've worked in IT support or a help desk role, you'll feel right at home. If you're coming from a completely different field, the course is sequenced to build your understanding from the ground up, no assumptions made.
How is this different from just watching YouTube videos?
YouTube gives you the pieces, and plenty of good ones. What it can't give you is the order. This course is the same concepts, sequenced so each one builds on the last, free and in one place.
What's the catch? Why is this free?
No catch. It's the on-ramp to the rest of what Andrew teaches. If you want hands-on lab access and the full career roadmap, Launchpad builds on exactly what you learn here.
Can I upgrade to Launchpad after starting Essentials?
Yes, any time. Essentials doesn't expire and there's nothing to pay off first.