Identity as a service (IDaaS) has been gaining in importance in recent years, with many organizations turning to this subscription-based cloud service to enhance their identity and access management (IAM) capabilities. IDaaS combines the benefits of traditional IAM with the economic and operational advantages of cloud-based operations, reducing risk and avoiding the costs and complexity of on-premises infrastructure. This article explores the need for IDaaS, its growing importance, and the core capabilities required of an IDaaS solution.
One of the main reasons why IDaaS is needed is its efficiency and cost-effectiveness in delivering IAM services. It provides self-service for users to request access to tools and resources, which are verified according to their entitlements listed in the directory. With credentials being a prime target for attackers, IDaaS can help protect organizations against both internal and external security threats by quickly identifying potential exposures such as inappropriate access, policy violations, and unsecured data and applications.
IDaaS also replaces manual processes such as access reviews and significantly reduces the cost of compliance with IAM requirements of regulations such as GDPR. It provides repeatable processes that have been established according to an organization’s needs, ensuring that all IAM needs are performed in a consistent manner that is auditable and secure.
The use of mobile phones and the proliferation of cloud-based services are driving the growth in importance of IDaaS. The pandemic has also had a large role to play in driving growth, with remote workers needing access to resources to perform their tasks. The mobile workforce and the proliferation of cloud-based services proved to be costly and inefficient when performed in-house, leading to many organizations turning to IDaaS.
IDaaS solutions support identity federation standards that include SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect to make it easy for users to access all applications that they require using just one set of credentials. According to SailPoint, IDaaS allows organizations to see everything by connecting all enterprise systems, govern everything by knowing what users are doing with their access to applications and data, and empower everyone by enabling users to work how they want, from wherever they are and on any device.
The five core capabilities required of an IDaaS solution are SSO, MFA, access security, directory provisioning, and user behavior analytics. SSO allows users to sign on once at the network perimeter to gain access to all of the SaaS, mobile, and enterprise applications that they need, eliminating password fatigue and reducing security gaps. MFA provides step-up authentication methods to provide added security when situations change, or user behavior or application and data sensitivity require.
IDaaS provides an efficient and cost-effective way of delivering IAM services that combines the functions and benefits of traditional IAM with the economic and operational advantages of cloud-based operations. With the growth in importance of IDaaS driven by the use of mobile phones and the proliferation of cloud-based services, organizations can benefit from improved security, reduced costs, and enhanced compliance.