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CIAM and IAM: From Internal Security to Customer Experience

Anthoine Dominguez avatar

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IAM and CIAM at Your Company’s Service

Data security and customer experience are at the heart of every company’s concerns. Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) are key to protecting your sensitive information and creating secure interactions with your customers.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) What is it?

IAM, or Identity and Access Management, is a framework that enables companies to manage the identity information and access rights of users within the organization. The main aim of IAM is to ensure that the right people have access to the right resources at the right time, for the right reasons. The best-known solutions are Okta or Microsoft Azure Active Directory. These solutions tend to store data outside Europe, which can pose RGPD compliance issues. That’s why we recommend opting for French sovereign solutions.

Key IAM features

Strong and multi-factor authentication

Often implemented by multi-factor authentication (MFA), it uses several independent verification factors to validate the user’s identity. These factors can include something the user knows (such as a password), something they possess (such as a phone or token) and something they are (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition). By combining these elements, MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, making it much harder for attackers to compromise an account.

SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect for Single Sign-On (SSO)

SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect are protocols used for Single Sign-On (SSO), enabling users to authenticate only once to access multiple applications and services.

Using XML to structure data, they are commonly used in companies to integrate various internal and external applications.

OpenID Connect, on the other hand, is based on the OAuth 2.0 protocol and is widely used for modern web and mobile applications.

Simplifying identity management by reducing the number of logins required, SSO also reduces the administrative burden and risks associated with managing multiple identifiers. This improves the user experience.

Zero Trust and Enhanced Security

The Zero Trust model is based on the fundamental principle of never trust, always verify. Unlike previous perimeter security models, where everything inside the network was considered trustworthy, Zero Trust considers every access attempt as potentially suspicious, whether it comes from inside or outside the network. Each access request is authenticated and authorized according to defined policies, regardless of source or location.

This reinforces internal access security by preventing an attacker, having compromised an access point, from moving laterally to access other sensitive resources.

Threat prediction and fraud detection with AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are playing an increasingly crucial role in IAM security. By analyzing large datasets, AI can identify patterns and anomalies indicative of suspicious or fraudulent behavior. For example, logging in from an unusual geographical location, multiple failed login attempts or abnormal activity outside normal hours can be detected in real time. These intelligent systems can then trigger alerts, apply additional controls or even block potentially malicious access before it causes any damage. By integrating AI into IAM, companies can not only react quickly to emerging threats, but also predict and prevent incidents before they occur.

Benefits of IAM

IAM offers many benefits, including enhanced internal access security, centralized identity management, and regulatory compliance. These benefits are crucial to protecting corporate resources and ensuring effective user management.

  • IAM offers many benefits, including enhanced security, simplified identity management and improved user experience.
  • IAM also helps maintain compliance with security regulations, avoiding penalties and boosting partner confidence.
  • By automating identity management tasks, it reduces operational costs and frees up time for more strategic activities.
  • What’s more, IAM enables threats to be detected and prevented in real time.

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) What is it?

CIAM, or Customer Identity and Access Management, focuses on managing the identities and accesses of external users, such as customers and partners. Unlike IAM, CIAM puts a

Key CIAM features

This offers an intelligent approach to authentication, adjusting methods according to the user’s context. This means that different factors, such as time of day, geographical location, type of device used or user behavior, are taken into account to determine the level of authentication required. For example, logging in from a new device or location may trigger additional verification, such as sending a verification code by SMS or requesting biometric recognition. This approach guarantees enhanced security while delivering a seamless, fluid user experience. At the same time, continuous authentication constantly monitors the user’s identity throughout his or her session, detecting any suspicious activity in real time and enabling an immediate response.

Another major CIAM innovation is the adoption of password-less authentication thanks to FIDO2 technology. Using biometric devices or hardware security keys, customers can now access their accounts securely and conveniently, without having to remember complex passwords. This approach enhances security while providing a smoother, less burdensome user experience.

CIAM leverages behavioral and multimodal biometrics to more robustly verify customer identity. Behavioral biometrics analyzes each user’s unique behavior patterns, such as the way they type on a keyboard or use a mouse, to validate their identity in a non-intrusive way. In combination with multimodal biometrics, which combines several types of biometric data such as fingerprints, facial and voice recognition, CIAM guarantees advanced, reliable authentication.

Finally, CIAM offers advanced customer profile management, enabling you to better understand your customers and personalize their interactions accordingly. By collecting and analyzing demographic, behavioral and transactional data, CIAM enables companies to create personalized experiences and proactively build customer loyalty. In short, CIAM goes beyond simple identity and access management, offering advanced functionalities that reinforce security, enhance the user experience and enable effective personalization of customer interactions. By adopting these innovative technologies, you can not only secure your platforms, but also build closer, more meaningful relationships with your customers.

CIAM benefits

CIAM enhances the user experience by making login processes simpler and more secure. It also reduces the risk of fraud and reinforces security for external users. What’s more, effective identity management contributes to customer loyalty by offering personalized, secure interactions.

IAM and CIAM: Towards a Secure and Innovative Digital Future

Identity and access management, whether IAM or CIAM, is essential to secure digital interactions and protect sensitive information. By integrating modern technologies such as adaptive authentication, biometrics and artificial intelligence. However, when choosing an IAM solution, it is crucial to consider where data will be stored. The best-known are Okta and Microsoft Azure Active Directory. These IAM solution providers often have their data centers based outside Europe, which can raise regulatory compliance concerns, particularly with regard to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

When it comes to protecting the sensitive data of European users, it is advisable to consider French sovereign solutions, which guarantee that data is stored locally and is subject to French and European laws and regulations on confidentiality and data protection. These solutions offer additional assurance as to the security and confidentiality of identity and access information. We can help you implement these solutions quickly and efficiently. Enabling you to deliver a secure, seamless user experience while protecting your critical resources.