How to Support Multiple IDps for Enterprise Clients in CIAM?

When you work with enterprises, dealing with multiple IDps is quite common. For the most part companies already have a CIAM or IAM system in place - but making sure that they work together is where a reliable CIAM adds value.

With CIAM platforms like UniFed you can sync with more than one directory or IDp and have centralized management in one easy to manage CIAM platform. But here’s what you need to know about the different  ways this can be done.

What is an IDp?

Identity Providers (IDps) are services that verify user identities and offer authentication to access digital resources. They play a key role in ensuring users can securely log in to applications without needing separate credentials for each service.

• IDps validate user credentials and provide access tokens for authentication.
• They simplify login processes by centralizing identity verification.
• Common IDps include Microsoft, Infisign, Okta, AWS, and Google Workspce.
• They integrate with applications to streamline user authentication.

What is the Role of an IDp in CIAM?

In CIAM (Customer Identity and Access Management), IDps handle authentication and identity verification for users. They enable businesses to provide seamless and secure access to their services, enhancing customer experience and trust.

• IDps manage user identity data to support authentication.
• They connect to multiple applications via standard protocols.
• IDps help enforce security policies and compliance requirements.
• They reduce the burden of managing individual user credentials.

How Do You Support Multiple IDps for Enterprise Clients in CIAM?

Understand What the Enterprise Needs

Understanding enterprise requirements is the first step. Each client has unique needs based on their industry, size, and security policies. 

This involves analyzing authentication protocols, attribute mappings, and role hierarchies to match existing workflows and security policies.

Additionally, understanding enterprise-specific use cases allows for tailored authentication flows that accommodate diverse user bases without compromising performance.

Looking into this ensures the CIAM system aligns with its objectives and existing infrastructure.

• Identify the primary IDps the enterprise already uses.
• Assess compliance and security requirements.
• Evaluate the scalability needs of the enterprise.
• Understand the user experience expectations for employees and customers.

Federated Identity Management

Federated Identity Management supports multiple Identity Providers (IDps) in CIAM by enabling seamless authentication across diverse systems using standardized protocols like SAML, OAuth, or OpenID Connect. This approach allows enterprises to centralize identity verification while maintaining compatibility with different IDps.

With features like adaptive trust negotiation and real-time session management, Federated Identity Management improves identity governance, offering a unified user experience across platforms while maintaining robust security protocols.

• Facilitates trust between different identity systems.
• Reduces the need for duplicate user accounts across services.
• Enables single sign-on (SSO) for a unified user experience.
• Supports cross-organization collaboration and resource sharing.

Using Standards like SAML, OAuth, and OIDC

Using standard protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect to manage authentication workflows help allow this. These protocols facilitate interoperability by standardizing token exchanges, role definitions, and attribute sharing across diverse systems. CIAM software allows you to use these protocols with little to no hassle.

Additionally, consistent use of these standards simplifies the management of identity federation and ensures compatibility with varying IDp configurations.

With features such as dynamic protocol handling and extensible authentication flows, this method accommodates the technical requirements of complex identity ecosystems while maintaining robust security practices.

• SAML is widely used for enterprise-level single sign-on (SSO).
• OAuth provides secure access delegation for APIs.
• OIDC extends OAuth with identity layer support.
• Standards simplify integration and reduce development effort.

Implementing Identity Federation Architecture

Identity federation architecture connects multiple IDps under a single framework. This approach allows enterprises to manage diverse authentication systems while maintaining control and consistency.

• Enables centralized authentication for distributed systems.
• Improves scalability for handling large user bases.
• Supports policy enforcement across different IDps.
• Enhances user experience by streamlining access.

Why is Supporting Multiple IDps Challenging?

Complexity in Integration

Integrating multiple IDps can be complex due to differing protocols, configurations, and enterprise needs. Each IDp may require distinct configurations, increasing the complexity of system interoperability.

Additionally, maintaining consistent identity data mappings across IDps demands careful synchronization to avoid discrepancies that could affect user authentication workflows.

This requires careful planning and testing to ensure compatibility and functionality.

What does this mean? Well put simply:

• Managing multiple IDps increases administrative overhead.
• Testing and debugging integration issues can be time-consuming.

Security Concerns

Security is a critical concern when supporting multiple IDps. While supporting multiple IDps adds flexibility, it introduces significant security challenges, particularly around managing inconsistent authentication protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect. Variations in token handling and session management can create vulnerabilities if not carefully addressed.

Aside from this, weak links in integration or configuration errors can expose sensitive user data to risks and vulnerabilities. This could have the potential risks mentioned below:

• Misconfigured IDps can create security loopholes.
• Multiple IDps increase the attack surface for potential breaches.
• Ensuring secure token exchange is vital to prevent misuse.
• Regular audits are needed to maintain security compliance.

Performance and Scalability Issues

While multiple IDps facilitate diverse authentication sources, they introduce performance and scalability challenges due to increased authentication traffic and protocol variance. Handling concurrent requests from disparate IDps can strain system resources, especially during peak usage.

Increased traffic, authentication requests, and data synchronization can strain resources and degrade user experience.With capabilities like adaptive caching and distributed session handling, addressing these issues involves optimizing system architectures to sustain reliability and responsiveness under varying load

• High volumes of authentication requests can cause bottlenecks.
• Latency issues may arise due to multiple IDp connections.
• Scaling the system to support growth requires robust planning.
• Monitoring tools are necessary to track performance metrics.

Custom Requirements from Enterprise Clients

Although supporting multiple IDps introduces flexibility, custom requirements from enterprise clients add significant complexity. Variations in authentication protocols, role mappings, and attribute schemas often necessitate tailored configurations to meet specific security policies.

Additionally, accommodating unique workflows or proprietary integrations requires meticulous adjustments to avoid disrupting existing systems.

 Tailoring solutions to meet these needs can add complexity and require advanced customization.

• Clients may demand specific authentication flows or protocols.
• Custom user attributes might need to be mapped across IDps.
• Integration with legacy systems can pose challenges.
• Ongoing support and updates are needed to adapt to changes.

Why Choose Infisign as Your CIAM Solution?

Infisign allows users to use social logins and SSO making for an overall pleasant experience. That said, it also has conditional access and adaptive MFA, that makes sure that only authorized users have access to your system through sophisticated authentication protocols.Unlike most traditional CIAM or IAM platforms, Infisign comes with directory-sync, SSO and device passkeys at no additional cost - making your integration process easy and a lot more affordable.Sounds promising? Why not reach out to our team for a free 15-day software trial.