What Is IDaaS?
Identity as a Service (IDaaS) is an authentication service provided by a third party via the cloud. Third-party providers offer various services like IDaaS through web connections so a company can outsource these services rather than managing them in-house. IDaaS is used to verify who users are and whether they have permission to access files, software or other resources. An organization can pay a subscription fee to the provider for cloud-based IDaaS applications.
As more and more aspects of businesses and organizations become digital, there is an increasing need to verify digital identities as they interact with and access different areas of a network. As methods for doing so have changed, IDaaS and similar solutions have become critical tools in helping organizations manage their network security.
The Benefits of IDaaS and the Risks
As cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) services continue to grow in popularity, keep in mind that services like IDaaS may not be right for every company. While IDaaS offers many benefits, there are a few risks to be aware of, which is why it is so important to find the right company to handle your IDaaS needs. Consider the IDaaS pros and cons below to help you determine how the service may work in your organization.
Benefits of IDaaS
There are a number of positives to IDaaS, including the savings and efficiency of accessing services in demand. Not having to create your own in-house infrastructure for identity management means you can save on development or storage costs and save valuable time setting up these systems. Managing identity yourself means purchasing, installing, upgrading and maintaining software and servers. Doing so can be a huge expense and you’ll likely have to spend time and money training personnel to use the equipment.
Additionally, outsourcing IDaaS means you have access to identity experts who can adapt to consistently changing needs. If you manage authentication in-house, your staff may lack the experience or knowledge to solve problems quickly. With identity services, the professionals have likely already solved similar problems for other companies, allowing them to provide solutions immediately.
You will also likely have access to more features than you would if you tried setting IAM up in-house, and you will have more integration options with a cloud-based identity as a service solution. Cloud-based IDaaS provides security regardless of where a user is signing in from. Whether it be from a laptop on open WiFi at a cafe or a desktop computer in your office, the results are the same.
Risks of IDaaS
Although easily avoidable, one of the big negatives of IDaaS that many companies anticipate is the danger of having to outsource critical functions. Once you send your identity management service requirements to the cloud, they are outside your company firewall, and critical functions of your business are exposed to the internet. You must be sure your data and systems remain safe if you are going to use an IDaaS system.
IDaaS Applications
There are numerous applications for IDaaS, with two of the most common being single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication. With IDaaS SSO, a network’s users are asked to sign in once when first accessing the network. With that one log in, the user can access any authorized company resources and programs. Multifactor authentication is the opposite — users must provide multiple factors to prove they’re authorized. This application offers a higher level of security as it determines how risky a user may be.
Organizations can use these applications and many others to ensure only authorized users are accessing their networks. From schools and hospitals to small businesses and global organizations, IDaaS applications help various industries monitor who accesses their network. In doing so, organizations are able to stop unauthorized users from gaining access before a security breach occurs.
Optimal IdM Is the Solution
Optimal IdM identity authentication as a service is the perfect solution. We offer a federated cloud service with multifactor and mobile authentication and standard security protocols. Because there is no syncing required, you do not need any cloud storage, so your data is not sitting on the cloud for a third party to intercept. You get all the benefits of IDaaS without some of the vulnerabilities you will get with other identity access management services with cloud storage.
To learn more, request a free trial of our service today.
