IAM is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies that ensure individuals (or entities) have the right level of access to resources at the right time. It involves verifying identities, granting authorized permissions, and controlling user access to systems, applications, and data. Common capabilities include single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, identity lifecycle management, and access governance.
An IAM solution integrates identity governance, access management, and privileged access management to streamline user identification, authentication, and authorization. It supports secure provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts, enforces appropriate access policies, and may leverage widely accepted protocols for secure authentication, authorization, and federation.
IAM enhances the user experience, improves security, and simplifies compliance. By centralizing identity data, automating credential management, and enabling secure authentication methods, organizations can reduce risks, lower administrative costs, and ensure that only the right individuals have access to critical resources.
MFA adds an extra step to the login process by requiring multiple types of verification beyond just a password. It could involve something a user knows (password or PIN), something they have (a security token or mobile device), or something they are (biometrics). MFA significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access, even if one factor, like a password, is compromised.
Ideally, MFA should protect all accounts, especially those with elevated privileges or access to sensitive data. Any application handling critical information or allowing significant transactions should enforce MFA to mitigate threats such as phishing or credential theft.
Without MFA, accounts are more vulnerable to common attacks like brute force attempts or phishing campaigns. This increases the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and reputational damage.
Identity Security focuses on safeguarding user identities and preventing unauthorized access. It ensures that only validated individuals with the correct permissions can interact with sensitive systems, maintain compliance, and protect valuable data assets.
It is always preferable to envision the potential IAM demands and requirements for your business in future years. While forecasting, consider the following so it remains effective as business demands evolve.
Can you trust and rely on the solution?
Over time, is it scalable?
Solution’s roadmap for updates, improvements
Ongoing vendor support
High availability ensures users can access resources when needed, while reliability guarantees consistent performance. Evaluate solutions for robust uptime, redundancy, and responsive support. Critical operations may stall if the IAM service is down, so choosing a dependable solution is crucial.
CIAM simplifies registration and login, enables social sign-on, offers passwordless options, and personalizes digital experiences. This reduces friction, improves customer satisfaction, and fosters trust and loyalty.
Yes. CIAM platforms are built to support large numbers of concurrent users and scale to meet peak usage demands without degrading performance or security.
Yes. CIAM solutions typically support social login as a key feature. Social login enables users to authenticate themselves using their existing social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Google, Apple, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), simplifying the registration and login process.