MFA has become almost ubiquitous for those using cloud service software because it requires more than just a single step, like simply entering a user name and password. This can be critical in many business apps, which means it's also critical to manage those roles across different apps and combine basic authentication with more advanced technology, like multi-factor authentication (MFA). So not just who gets access to the app, but precisely what they can access once they're using it. IT administrators need to give users single sign-on (SSO) capability across the organization's entire app library, but that's only part of the problem.Ĭontrolling the depth of access in SaaS apps is just as crucial for on-premises apps and even local network resources. IDM exists because businesses need a way to easily create and manage users (aka, identities) across their entire software portfolio. That's where identity management (IDM) comes in.īuying Guide: The Best Identity Management Solutions for 2023 What is Identity Management (IDM)? Combine that with pre-pandemic back-end services, which could be in the cloud or on-premises and also require user authentication, and you're looking at a complex, organically-growing identity scenario that'll be rife with security holes if it's left alone. The problem is that those apps require individual per-user authentication. That's great for deployment because it gives users access to tools in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model that's not only cheaper but has zero local management issues. With workers toiling from home, many small to midsized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises have begun to rely much more on third-party cloud services to fill their software needs.

Now that the pandemic has created so many widely distributed workers while simultaneously forcing businesses to depend on a weave of third-party cloud services, securely managing identity and authentication isn't just more important than ever it's also more complex. The shift took off when cloud services became popular a decade ago. Managing user authentication has come a long way from the days when all IT had to consider was one local password for every user. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

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