Centralized vs Decentralized Identity Management

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Are you concerned about your organization’s identity management policies? Without proper identity management, your organization's data is at risk.

If employees have access to more data than needed, or if ex-employees still access SaaS tools after leaving, it's a problem. This can lead to data misuse and expose your systems to security risks.

Thus, you need to enable proper identity management mechanisms in your organization. For this, you have different options, such as centralized and decentralized identity management.

Whether you opt for centralized or decentralized identity management, ensure your security strategies effectively govern how organizations control and monitor resource access.

To help you decide which identity management mechanism to opt for, we have discussed the differences between centralized and decentralized identity management in this article.

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TL;DR

• Centralized identity management stores all user credentials in a single system, offering easier control but creating a single point of failure.
• Decentralized identity management distributes credentials across multiple systems, improving security and reducing risks of breaches.
• Centralized systems are more scalable and easier to manage but can lead to bottlenecks and privacy concerns.
• Decentralized approaches offer users more control over their data but can be harder to implement and manage at scale.
• Businesses must weigh control, security, and ease of use when choosing between centralized and decentralized identity management.

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What is Identity management?

Identity management is the process of managing and controlling user access to resources within an organization. It involves creating, managing, and removing user identities and permissions.

This ensures the right people access the right information at the right time. It helps protect sensitive data and keeps the organization secure.

What is centralized identity management?

Centralized identity management is a strategy where the control of digital identities and access rights is managed by one central authority within an organization. It uses a central database to store user identities and permissions.

This approach integrates with other IT systems, ensuring secure access to resources while enforcing security policies and compliance requirements.

Here are some examples

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Key features of centralized identity management

• Uniformity: It ensures consistent access policies and permissions across the organization.
• Centralized administration: Administrators manage user identities, access rights, and security policies.
• Simplified management: It streamlines tasks like user provisioning, de-provisioning, and auditing.

How does it work?

• Central directory: Organizations use a main database (like Active Directory or LDAP) to keep user identities, their details, and access rights.
• User login and access: Users log in with methods like passwords, biometrics, or tokens. Access levels are assigned based on set rules.
• Single sign-on (SSO): This system often supports SSO, enabling users to log in once and access multiple applications without needing to enter their credentials again.
• Managing user accounts: This involves handling user setup, removal, and managing their attributes and permissions throughout their time in the system.
• Application integration: Centralized identity management connects with various apps and services, ensuring smooth access control across the organization’s IT setup.

Advantages of centralized identity management

• Users enjoy the convenience of Single Sign-On (SSO) since they only need to remember a single password, which enhances productivity.
• Centralized systems simplify overall operations by making it easier to handle tasks like creating user accounts, managing access rights, and conducting audits.
• Administrators have a clear view and control over user access and security policies, enhancing governance and security.
• Centralized identity management ensures security rules are consistent and meet regulations, reducing risks like unauthorized access and data breaches.

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Challenges of centralized identity management

Centralized identity management presents several challenges. This table will help you understand the challenges your organization might come across.

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One notable incident involved Equifax, a major credit reporting agency in the United States. Hackers exploited a vulnerability in Equifax's centralized database.

The incident highlighted the risks of centralizing vast amounts of personal data in one location, including names, social security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of approximately 147 million consumers, making it a prime target for cyberattacks.

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What is decentralized identity management?

Decentralized identity management gives users greater control over their digital identities and personal data. Unlike centralized systems, where power resides with a single authority, decentralized identity management distributes control and ownership of identity information across multiple entities, including individuals, organizations, or devices.

Here are some examples

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Key principles of decentralized identity management

• Self-sovereignty: You have full control over your identity data and can choose when and how to share it.
• Privacy: User privacy is prioritized, minimizing the exposure of personal information and allowing for selective sharing options.
• Interoperability: These solutions work across different platforms and services, allowing quick and secure identity verification.
• Security: Encryption safeguards identity information, ensuring it remains secure from compromise or impersonation.

How does it work?

Decentralized identity management uses a network of unique identifiers and verifiable credentials. Here’s how it works:

• Decentralized identifiers (DIDs): DIDs are unique IDs stored on decentralized systems like blockchains. Each ID is secured and controlled by the person or organization it represents.
• Verifiable credentials: These are digital proofs of an entity’s attributes (like age or qualifications) that trusted parties issue. They allow users to prove their identity without sharing unnecessary personal information.
• Decentralized networks: Platforms like Ethereum or protocols like W3C's DID specification enable secure interactions without a central authority.
• Selective disclosure: Users have control over what information they share and with whom, enhancing privacy and reducing exposure to personal data.

Advantages of decentralized identity management

• DIDs and verifiable credentials use strong cryptographic techniques to lower the risks of identity theft, fraud, and unauthorized access.
• Decentralized systems share identity management across multiple nodes or entities. This reduces dependence on a single authority and minimizes the impact of failures.
• Users have complete control over their digital identities and data. They decide how and when to share information, using selective disclosure to share only necessary details.
• Decentralized identity standards enable seamless integration across diverse platforms. It allows users to use their identities without being tied to a specific provider.

Challenges of decentralized identity management

Decentralized identity management poses several challenges like:

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In 2019, a hacker breached Capital One's centralized cloud server, accessing personal data from over 100 million customers. This shows the risks of centralized identity management, storing so much sensitive information in one place.

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Key difference: Centralized vs decentralized identity management

These are different approaches to handling and verifying identities (such as user accounts or profiles) across systems.

Check this table to understand their differences.

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How can CloudEagle help with identity management?

CloudEagle is a SaaS management and procurement platform that assists organizations in discovering, managing, governing, and renewing SaaS applications.

The tool integrates with over 500 systems and offers different features for comprehensive SaaS management. It includes complete app discovery, license management, automated user provisioning and deprovisioning, application service catalog, contract management, and renewal management.

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CloudEagle can assist with identity management by providing centralized and secure solutions that streamline access control and authentication processes across various cloud services and applications.

Here are some ways CloudEagle can help:

Centralized user management: CloudEagle offers a single platform for administrators to handle user identities, permissions, and access policies across many cloud services from one interface.

Instead of managing credentials and permissions separately for each service, admins can add users, adjust permissions, and revoke access all in one place. This simplifies management, boosts security, and minimizes mistakes.

Single sign-on (SSO): CloudEagle supports over 500 integrations with various tools, including SSO. Users can log in once with their credentials and access multiple applications without needing to log in each time.

This improves the user experience by reducing login prompts and enhances security with consistent authentication across all services.

Auto-provisioning: This tool automates access to SaaS apps for new employees during onboarding. It ensures they receive the appropriate rights and permissions based on set rules.

By automating this, organizations reduce administrative tasks and ensure employees can use the necessary tools from day one.

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Auto-deprovisioning: It is equally important during employee offboarding. When employees leave or change roles, it’s essential to revoke their access to SaaS applications quickly. This helps prevent unauthorized access and protects against security breaches.

CloudEagle's auto-deprovisioning workflows automatically remove access to sensitive resources based on predefined rules. This ensures SaaS access is revoked promptly according to organizational policies, enhancing security and compliance.

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Security and compliance: CloudEagle enables proper security mechanisms to protect user identities and follow rules like ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR. The tool uses substantial ways to prove who people are, keep data safe with encryption, and check everything regularly.

If you want to understand why CloudEagle could be your ideal choice, listen to Alice Park from Remediant. She shares how CloudEagle streamlined their existing processes, such as onboarding and offboarding, and transformed their SaaS management.

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Conclusion

The decision between centralized and decentralized identity management depends on different factors, each presenting its benefits and challenges.

Centralized identity management provides streamlined administration and secure access control. It suits organizations that need efficiency in managing user identities across systems. However, centralization risks single points of failure and privacy concerns.

Conversely, decentralized identity management focuses on user privacy, security using cryptography, and user control over data. It fosters interoperability and reduces dependence on single authorities, making it ideal for applications requiring distributed trust. However, it encounters challenges with implementation, scalability, and regulatory requirements.

If you want a tool to simplify your organization's identity management, consider CloudEagle.

Schedule a demo with our experts to learn how CloudEagle can help you improve your organization's identity management.

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