What are The Key IDaaS Capabilities for Enterprises?

What are the key Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) capabilities for enterprises? What can these capabilities offer your identity and access management strategy and solution? Why does it matter? 

First, we need to define IDaaS more concretely. IDaaS comprises of cloud-based solutions for identity and access management. They provide API security and native mobile application protections; simultaneously, IDaaS capabilities facilitate digital transformation efforts and improve cloud identity protections. These capabilities reduce cloud environment complexity through a multi-tenant or dedicated and hosted delivery model. 

Additionally, IDaaS capabilities collect intelligence and log events for reporting. In many ways, IDaaS intersects with identity governance and administration (IGA); these capabilities expand users’ identity security as infrastructures evolve and grow with new software and SaaS applications. Importantly, IDaaS capabilities can replace patchwork solutions which can leave security gaps. 

But what does this all mean?

The Key IDaaS Capabilities   

Crucially, all IDaaS capabilities apply to the cloud and hybrid environments as well as on-premises. Also, IDaaS supports SaaS applications. Therefore, businesses of all sizes and industries can benefit from these capabilities. 

They include: 

Single Sign-On (SSO) and Federation

With Single Sign-On, your users can benefit from convenient and secure access to all SaaS, mobile, and enterprise applications; instead of having to remember all of their passwords, users can use a single authentication using a single credential set. Therefore, users can use a single login to access multiple databases or applications for their business processes. 

Meanwhile, identity federation connects identity systems together through a centralized home node or identity provider to store the users’ identities. In this system, database or application processes an access request through the identity provider. Since they already trust the identity provider, they know to trust the access request.   

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Passwords don’t provide the level of enterprise identity security necessary for modern cybersecurity; in fact, passwords could prove a liability to your identity management because hackers can easily crack or guess passwords. Therefore, more enterprises need to embrace MFA. This supplements and strengthens passwords by adding more layers to authentication; the more layers between the access request and the data, the safer the latter.

Of course, with time and resources, hackers can subvert or bypass any number of authentication factors. However, most hackers would prefer to target weaker enterprises for a faster profit. So multifactor authentication can deter as many hackers as it deflects.   

Multifactor authentication factors can include geofencing, time of access request monitoring, biometric authentication, and hard tokens.  

Directory Services

Most enterprises might wish to integrate their IDaaS capabilities with a preexisting user Directory. However, IDaaS allows them to utilize a cloud directory as well as or instead of preexisting directories. A cloud directory allows your IT security team to organize your data into hierarchies for easy access. 

Access Security

Access security is policy-based access management for applications and APIs. It often results in enhancing security beyond that of SSO.   

Provisioning

IDaaS capabilities support and integration with on-premises provisioning. Through these capabilities, user data sync with web and enterprise applications.

How to Learn More

You can learn more about IDaaS capabilities in our 2019 Identity Management Buyer’s Guide. In it, we explore the key solution providers and their capabilities. 

Widget not in any sidebars