Why Identity management systems need an overhaul?

The present-day authentication methods are mainly Knowledge-based-authentication methods i.e. these authentication methods establish your identity by asking you questions such as for your mother's maiden name, pet name etc. Another form of authentication involves SMS two-factor authentication where you are asked to enter the message you receive on your cellphone when you are doing any transaction.

These methods look secure but they have been in place for years and cybercriminals have found a way around these methods. For e.g. these cybercriminals can search into social media to find out the answers to the secret questions asked by the payment websites. Even the SMS based two factor authentications can be intercepted via the SS7 telecommunication protocols or through phishing attacks.

In fact, so many data breaches have already happened that it is possible that the fraudsters already have hold on your personal information. For e.g. few years back, 32 million Yahoo accounts were hacked and the personal and financial information of all the affected people were compromised. A more severe breach happened in 2019, when 250 million customer records were exposed from Microsoft systems.

These breaches, as we see are even happening in the post GDPR era when data privacy regulations are stringent and these stringent measures have even forced IT heavyweights like Google to pay hefty fine for negligence.

In addition to the personal identity management system, there exists an enterprise identity and access management (IAM) ecosphere which is even greater in scope and technology. In fact, the advancements in enterprise IAM complement the personal IAM and vice versa. The underlying technologies driving these advancements is same, however the applications are different. In this blog post, we will first discuss the challenges associated with the present-day authentication methods and then expand the subject to encompass the trends and technology associated with Enterprise IAM.

Challenges with the present-day authentication methods

The biggest problem with the present-day authentication method is that it doesn’t' necessarily ensure that the person logging into the online account is the actual account owner.

It is therefore essential that we explore from traditional authentication to more secure methods such as facial biometrics. This is one technology which can be considered as a safe alternative for verifying financial transactions and online activities.

Another other method is a token-based authentication which is gaining considerable popularity especially in organizations dealing with sensitive data. The biggest drawback of token-based authentication is that it is not transferable and that it must be carried at all times. There is also a big possibility that these tokens will be physically lost, which again presents itself as a big security risk.

However, even Biometrics aren't a fail-safe method; hackers are adapting to deploy advanced spoofing techniques which can beat biometrics authentication. Nevertheless, if we combine facial recognition with advanced techniques like liveness detection, then it will become very difficult for hackers to impersonate identities.

New age identity authentication methods

Advancements in technology are making the traditional identity authentication methods obsolete. Innovative identity proofing and authentication methods are integrating AI into their algorithms and new applications for authentication are being developed every day.

One such application is the Video selfie technology which is extremely difficult to defraud. Even facial recognition technology which is present in all major devices is undergoing a facelift. For e.g. now systems are becoming more efficient in identifying the changes in face that occur over time and thus they are unlocking the phone more seamlessly.

The future identity authentication methods will also be specialized for different scenarios and offer you greater protection. For e.g. you would be able to open a Hotel room you'd booked or unlock your car using these modern authentication methods. This will eliminate the need of using hundreds of passwords which themselves are so unsafe.

Advanced biometrics in conjunction with AI is going to replace existing authentication systems and technology should ensure that our industrial infrastructure is well suited to propel this innovation and ensure rapid adoption when the technology is ready.

Enterprise Identity Authentication systems

Information in companies are sensitive and in order to access the company premises or devices, employees are required to authenticate themselves. In fact, organizational identity authentication systems are much more advanced than personal identity authentication systems. They have evolved over the years to offer multiple layers of authentication and different levels of authentication protect different kind of data.

Key components of Identity and Access management

• • Authentication and authorization

• • Multifactor authentication

• • Directory services

• • Reporting

  • Audit and compliances

  • User access management

The modern Enterprise Identity and access management solutions are Cloud based. This ensures scalability, flexibility and added security to identity services.

In addition, these cloud-based identity services enable applications to authenticate users at application level, based on variety of identity providers. These include cloud directory, social identities etc. To provide a secure access and identity system to industries and firms, product and service providers must embrace the full scope of digital transformation aimed at simplifying and securing the Enterprise Identity systems. One such firm is ISSQUARED Inc. whose ORSUS Identity management suite is a forerunner in delivering nimble and advanced IAM services to firms of all sizes and sectors.

ORSUS Identity Access and Governance

ISSQUARED’s ORSUS Identity Access and Governance (IAG) is a comprehensive and intelligent identity management platform that streamlines the process of managing identities and controlling their access, while improving operational agility and the overall security posture. It offers an unparalleled set of features to provide users the right level of access they need to enable them to stay productive, while supporting security, privacy and compliance mandates.

With ORSUS IAG you can,

• Ensure only the right people access the right resources and applications at the right time.

• Reduce IT burdens, costs and error-prone manual activities, thereby accelerating operational efficiency.

• Tailor business processes based on your specific needs through workflows, templates and policies.

• Deliver automation and enhance end-user productivity through self-service capabilities.

• Improve risk and security posture by enforcing compliance controls and policies.

Contact Us

Interested in ORSUS IAG? Please reach out to one of our experts. We would be delighted to showcase the product and its features. You can reach out to us at mailto:sales@issquaredinc.com or call us at +1 (805) 480-9300.