With remote work becoming so commonplace, Identity and Access Management software has grown in importance in recent years. Solutions need to be able to function on-premise, in the cloud and in hybrid environments. Here is our list of the best IAM solutions.
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According to the Identity Defined Security Alliance, 84% of organizations experienced an identity-related security breach during 2021-2022, and 96% said they believe those breaches were preventable with correctly implemented identity-related security measures. That’s why the global cloud IAM market is projected to reach $13.42 Billion by 2027 and grow at an annual rate of 22.71%, according to a report from Research and Markets.
Identity and Access Management software and solutions are used to verify identities and only permit authorized users to access organizational resources. Such tools typically reside between systems and target resources. They establish a framework of security policies and technologies to prevent unauthorized access. They form the backbone of user authentication and access and are used in both local and remote scenarios.
With remote work becoming so commonplace, IAM has grown in importance in recent years. Solutions need to be able to function on-prem, in the cloud and in hybrid environments.
According to the Identity Defined Security Alliance, 84% of organizations experienced an identity-related security breach during 2021-2022) and 96% believe those breaches were preventable with correctly implemented identity-related security measures. That’s why the global cloud IAM market is projected to reach $13.42 Billion by 2027 and grow at an annual rate of 22.71%. While
There are many features in common among top IAM solutions and some others that differentiate the different players. Almost all now include multi-factor authentication and zero trust. But privileged access management and workflows are not offered by some vendors.
| Pricing | Offers multi-factor authentication | Offers privileged access management | Provides workflows | Provides zero trust | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | $6-$9 per user, per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JumpCloud | $15-$29 per user, per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CyberArk | $2-$5 per user, per month, plus various add-on fees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OneLogin | $2-$8 per user, per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ping Identity | Essential plan $20k per year; Plus plan $40k per year; Premium plan – contact sales | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oracle | Contact sales for pricing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Okta | $15 per server, per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ManageEngine | Contact for IAM pricing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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If the business runs almost exclusively on Microsoft tools and Windows operating systems, Active Directory is a no-brainer. It stands as the foundation for Windows-based identity management. To extend its reach beyond local networks, Microsoft Entra tools are needed for multi-cloud and multi-network needs running Microsoft Azure.
JumpCloud’s zero trust approach to identity offers granular policies to manage identities, devices and locations suites. Its vendor-independent approach is enhanced by its comfort with multiple protocols. It is used by large and small organizations alike, but is particularly user friendly for small businesses that don’t have a strong grounding in IT.
SEE: JumpCloud vs Okta reviewÂ
Identity-as-a-Service is a way to take the effort out of IAM. CyberArk is one of several vendors offering IDaaS. The company is also big in the privileged identity management (PAM) market. It has steadily added to its initial PAM offerings with IAM, IDaaS and analytics capabilities.
SEE: CyberArk vs BeyondTrust review
Those organizations that are social media centric will appreciate how OneLogin’s IAM product integrates with social media logins as well as regular enterprise logins for endpoints. It takes a narrower focus than others. But those wanting a good IAM tool should consider OneLogin.
Ping Identity is another largely pure-play IAM vendor. But within that, it delivers a range of identity and access solutions that can be bought together or separately. It has traditionally had a strong user base among financial services companies though doesn’t specialize only in that market.
SEE: Ping vs Okta reviewÂ
SEE: Okta vs Duo reviewÂ
Oracle offers a range of cloud infrastructure identity and access management and  access governance tools to help manage identity and access in cloud and on-premises. These can either be self-managed or managed by Oracle. Oracle’s enterprise cloud experience and capabilities make it a good choice for those with multi-cloud environments
Okta’s single pane of glass approach helps to simplify deployment,management and administration. They are also made easier as Okta integrates with thousands of applications. It comes. Okta integrates well, too, with Microsoft products, making it a good choice for Office 365, Azure Active Directory, Sharepoint, Intune and Windows-based access.
Several of the products included here can be run in-house. But ManageEngine is probably the best – and it can also run in the cloud. The company offers a set of tools that once assembled provided comprehensive IAM.
Those interested in Identify and Access Management should expect to see features such as multi-factor authentication, zero trust and workflows integrated into the products they deploy. Privileged access management, though, may be needed by some and not by others. But if you need it, make sure to select an IAM package that includes integrated PAM.
Multi-factor authentication is now becoming so commonplace that IAM vendors typically provide it. MFA greatly reduces the risk inherent in using only a single password or passcode for access. Users must use at least two methods to authenticate their identity.
Privileged Access Management is another capability that is often integrated with IAM. PAM deals with who should be granted what access privileges such as admin privileges or the right to review certain types of organizational information. In its simplest form, it enables a manager to access the files and systems of those under his or her care, but prevents them from viewing the data and systems of their superiors.
Identity and access management workflows control the actions that can be done by authenticated users. It is based on pre-set IAM policies and templates that lay out approval processes for access, restrictions of certain assets, onboarding, offboarding, alerting and more.
Zero Trust is a security philosophy that eliminates the principle of implicit trust, thereby minimizing the possibility of a cyber-attack. Rather than being a product or tool, zero trust is a framework that is applied across the entire range of cybersecurity. It plays a key role in enhancing IAM effectiveness.
There are a great many choices out there for IAM. Those listed above are among the strongest candidates. But the selection process must be done independently by every organization to ensure the toolset chosen is the right fit for the organizational culture, IT capabilities, infrastructure and user base. There are many different approaches to account verification, role and privilege assignment and access control. Some are more stringent than others, some have better governance and reporting, others are easy to implement or aimed at large or small businesses, or are better in the cloud or on-premises.
Thus, there are many factors to consider. For some businesses integration may be key. IAM must be able to comfortably fit into the existing infrastructure, interact seamlessly with related security tools and business applications, and should align with platform preferences. If the organization is an AWS or Microsoft Azure shop, this helps to narrow down the IAM options by selecting a tool that is designed for those environments.
For others, the user experience will be front and center. They either want an approach to IAM that does not place a severe authentication burden on users and places undue delays on their actions. But on the other side of the coin, some will demand the tightest security with multiple authentication and verification steps.
To create the pool of candidates for this year’s top IAM solutions, we reviewed a variety of analyst sites, user review compilations and vendor websites. Each one chosen was able to deliver enterprise-class capabilities for identity management as well as access management. We looked at each solutions’ approach to account verification, role and privilege assignment and access control. We also considered how each fit into an organization’s existing infrastructure, and if they can integrate with existing business tools and applications. Finally, we looked to see if each solution offers a comprehensive user experience and interface as well as whether they offered reporting, threat detection and any automation including installation and provisioning.
SEE: Checklist: Network and systems security (TechRepublic Premium)
