The exponential growth of the Cloud, and in particular the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, has changed the way companies do business. Deploying SaaS via the Cloud means lower maintenance costs, increased uptime, faster deployment of features and reduced hardware requirements.
Those are just some of the reasons why Cloud-based SaaS solutions are making deep and rapid strides in tasks previously dominated only by internal IT staff.
However, to take full advantage of the benefits offered by SaaS applications, enterprises need a way to easily build and manage their users across all their Cloud applications.
This can be critical in many business applications, such as user role definition, cross-application authentication and more advanced security measures, and multi-factor authentication (MFA),
Similarly, it is important to maintain a good level of identity provider (IDP) management, as in many cases identity information may come from multiple repositories, which requires that a system not only manages identities in different systems, but can also synchronize information between them while providing a single source of truth when needed.
For all of this to happen, administrators need the ability to manage users, and for that to happen, Identity-Management-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solutions are quickly becoming the perfect tool for organizations.
Identity-Management-as-a-Service
Essentially, IDaaS solutions are a set of identity and access management services offered through the Cloud or by subscription, similar to other SaaS platforms, providing services that allow users to securely access their sensitive data. To do this, the application brings together all identity information as a single digital entity.
Almost any market or industry niche can make use of these applications, as they provide everything from access to digital information to physical access to secure areas, among other possibilities.
Multiple benefits
Access and identity management has a multitude of benefits for businesses, from ensuring regulatory compliance, enabling cost savings or simplifying the lives of customers by improving their experience. But these are the main benefits of a long list:
- Easily accessible anywhere
Today, people need to identify themselves all the time in order to use services and resources. In that sense, they require access to any platform without limits using their IDs, thus eliminating barriers for customers to enter the platform at any time and in any place.
- It encourages the connection between different parties.
The digital transformation that is occurring among multiple organizations forces people, applications and devices to stay connected to each other. And, as expected, all of these processes bring with them some security threats.
However, authentication and security are two of the strengths of these solutions, in addition to being extensible and ready for future advances.
IDaaS solutions automate the entry of new personnel and facilitate access to all components of the system with which the company operates. This allows for a reduction in access delivery times so that they can start production immediately.
For this reason, business agility also increases by using the advantages that technology makes available to meet the demands of today’s world.
- It optimizes the user experience.
Remembering so many usernames and passwords to access social networks, banks and other services on the Internet becomes a challenge for people. Thanks to IDaaS, people can obtain an identity that provides access to different systems.
Single Sign-On (SSO) allows customers and partners to access different internal and external applications with the same access method. That way, the user experience is not affected.
The best solutions for every business
As explained above, IDaaS solutions aim to connect users to IT resources, and specialise in providing single sign-on (SSO) access to web applications. With that in mind, it is important that companies take into account a number of factors when choosing the IDaaS solution that best suits their needs;
The system must be able to verify the user identity with confidence, not only in a demonstration configuration, but in real time. The lower the risk of authentication error, the more comfortable you will be using a service to protect your data.
Today’s technology has made working from anywhere possible, making it likely that workers will require access to secure information from any device. For example, a CEO traveling to a conference may need access to confidential financial records in order to negotiate a deal. As a result, the company needs to invest in an IDaaS service that is compatible with a variety of devices.
In some cases, working through the Cloud can become progressively more difficult as the business expands and an increasing number of users require more devices. You can ensure that you are prepared by making a good investment in a solution that allows you to scale as your company grows, preferably one with proven customer service to support you after the purchase.
- Ready for the biometric future:
While multi-factor authentication is something that will reach all areas with these platforms, biometrics is less common. Fingerprints are often used and are a good practice, but it is recommended that multiple facets of a security solution be explored and implemented.
For example, vendors are beginning to look at areas such as facial recognition, handprints and DNA to verify identity. Combining these with conventional verification such as passwords is the best way to ensure that confidential data is protected.
Ideally, the right IDaaS solution will combine all of these factors to provide comprehensive and future-proof protection.
Next generation IDaaS in the near future?
Currently IDaaS solutions cover all the needs of companies, however, as modern IT resources grow in popularity, there will be a disconnect between the web application SSO and the remaining host of resources that administrators will need to authenticate.
These next generation IDaaS platforms will integrate more than just the web application SSO, they will instead opt for a unified Cloud IAM platform that will include directory services, MFA, system management, audit/governance capabilities and privileged access management.
These Cloud IAM solutions aim to give IT administrators the ability to control access to each IT resource (with a unique identity), all from a web-based management console.
Next generation IDaaS can be applied to any situation where users are securely connected to IT resources and delivered as a continuous service from the Cloud. IDaaS has evolved in the IAM space to provide True Single Sign-On capabilities for IT managers looking to move their IT management infrastructure completely into the Cloud.
Conclusions
Until now, the control of the identity of the users was very expensive due to the amount of billable actions, however, with the IDaaS services, the costs are reduced to a subscription fee.
In addition to the savings, one of the main features offered by IDaas solutions includes an enhanced version of cyber security, as well as time savings with faster logins and fewer word resets. The improved security will prevent corporations from facing an attack or violation that could bring down their business.
