Okta is a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) platform. It centralizes user authentication, authorization, and lifecycle across an organization. Instead of each app managing its own users/passwords, Okta becomes the single source of truth: employees log in once (single sign-on), then access any connected app without re-entering credentials. Okta handles provisioning (automatically create user in Okta from HR system), deprovisioning (disable user when they leave), MFA (enforce two-factor auth), and compliance audits (SOC 2, FedRAMP, GDPR).