Editorial

Could Identity-as-a-Service help simplify Digital ID for developers?

For Ubisecure’s Simon Wood, the answer is a definite ‘yes’ – given that it might enable them to bring their apps to market quicker and more securely, while simultaneously allowing them to spend more time on innovation

Posted 21 November 2019 by Gary Flood


When it comes to implementing highly useful ID techniques like single sign-on (SSO), in-house developers often find they lack the time and resource to integrate identity features into apps quickly and securely enough.

“Cloud-based IDaaS is ideal for common implementations, like SSO, which require fast integration and standardised feature sets” – Simon Wood, Ubisecure
(Photo by KJ Spear)

What could really help: IDaaS – Identity-as-a-Service, defined as cloud-based authentication and Identity management software delivered through a third party.

That’s the claim, at least, out of ID leader Ubisecure in a piece of Digital Identity thought leadership written for the ITProPortal IT news site by the company’s CEO, Simon Wood.

In it, Wood postulates that, “IDaaS enables developers to bring their apps to market quicker and more securely, while simultaneously allowing them to spend more time on innovation – rather than reinventing the wheel each time on creating identity functionality.”

Even better, “A core benefit of the latest IDaaS offerings is that they are API-first. Third party APIs essentially provide on-demand expertise that would otherwise require resource-heavy in-house development,” he states.

Wood also claims that, “Traditionally, organisations would build identity management functionality internally, or take a more risk-averse approach by making use of existing technology stacks.

“However, while software stacks are highly effective for more sophisticated and larger scale identity use cases, cloud-based IDaaS is ideal for common implementations, like SSO, which require fast integration and standardised feature sets.”

Wood believes that as developers are always looking for simple use cases, and with an ever upwards trend of SaaS adoption, IDaaS really can provide a streamlined security route by delivering on-demand identity expertise.

As a result, these solutions can do a lot to alleviate internal friction and ultimately bridge the gap between developers and security teams – and as a result, he concludes,

“For companies looking to manage access securely, while at the same time providing it in the most user friendly way possible, IDaaS is the ideal solution, as it delivers such cloud-based Identity and Access Management.

“What’s more, it also helps developers marry their application development and time-to-market objectives with robust, proven embedded security.”