Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
Cloud-based Identity as a Service platform that provides authentication, authorization, user management, and security as a subscription service.
What is Identity as a Service (IDaaS)?
Identity as a Service (IDaaS) is a cloud-based identity and access management solution delivered on a subscription basis. It provides core IAM functions including authentication, authorization, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, user provisioning, and directory services - all managed by a third-party provider.
Key capabilities include:
- Authentication: Password, social login, MFA, passwordless
- SSO: SAML, OIDC, OAuth for cloud and on-prem apps
- User Management: Registration, profiles, self-service
- Security: Breach detection, adaptive authentication, audit logs
- Compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS support
Analogy
Think of IDaaS like a managed security guard service for your building. Instead of hiring, training, and managing your own security team (building your own identity system), you pay a subscription to a security company that provides trained guards, monitoring equipment, and 24/7 coverage.
Types and Use Cases
- SaaS Applications: IDaaS provides SSO and user management for cloud-based software
- Enterprise IAM: Large organizations outsource identity management to reduce complexity
- Multi-Cloud: Centralize identity across AWS, Azure, GCP and SaaS apps
- Workforce IAM: Manage employee access to internal and external applications
- Customer IAM (CIAM): Manage consumer identities with social login and self-service
How it Works
Identity as a Service (IDaaS) vs On-Premise IAM
Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
On-Premise IAM
IDaaS is cloud-based (managed by vendor)
On-Premise IAM is self-hosted (managed by your IT team) ; IDaaS requires no hardware or maintenance; On-Premise requires servers, patches, upgrades ; IDaaS scales elastically; On-Premise requires capacity planning ; IDaaS provides built-in compliance; On-Premise requires manual compliance efforts
IDaaS uses subscription pricing
On-Premise needs capital expenditure
Best Practices for Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
- Evaluate integration: Ensure IDaaS supports all your applications (SAML, OIDC, SCIM)
- Plan for migration: Migrate users and applications gradually, not all at once
- Review SLAs: Ensure uptime and support commitments match your requirements
- Enable MFA: Leverage the IDaaS platform's MFA capabilities for all users
- Monitor usage: Use IDaaS analytics for security monitoring and compliance
How LoginRadius Powers Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
LoginRadius CIAM platform delivers IDaaS capabilities purpose-built for customer-facing applications. We provide authentication (password, social, passwordless), SSO (SAML, OIDC, OAuth), MFA (SMS, TOTP, FIDO2, push), user management (registration, profiles, self-service), adaptive authentication (risk-based), and compliance support (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA).
FAQs
IDaaS is a broad term covering workforce IAM (employee access) and CIAM (customer access). CIAM is specifically focused on customer-facing identity - social login, self-registration, progressive profiling, and consent management. IDaaS often includes CIAM capabilities, but CIAM is a subset of IDaaS focused on external users.
IDaaS can be more secure than on-premise IAM. Leading IDaaS providers invest heavily in security: dedicated security teams, 24/7 monitoring, SOC 2/HIPAA/GDPR compliance certifications, automated patch management, and DDoS protection. However, security depends on the provider's practices - evaluate their security certifications, encryption standards, and incident response procedures.
LoginRadius provides a comprehensive CIAM platform (a specialized IDaaS for customer identity) with features including authentication, SSO, MFA, user management, social login, adaptive authentication, and compliance support. Our platform handles identity storage, security, and scalability so you can focus on your core business.