Passwords are becoming less common as new methods like passkeys and magic links are easier and safer. However, passwords will still be around because they give users full control.
The customer identity and access management (CIAM) industry is still growing. As the internet expands, we'll need accounts for all kinds of everyday tasks.
Learning from other people's experiences is valuable. The conference showcased practical lessons on handling user authentication and security from real-world situations.
There are many new startups in authentication since Auth0 was bought. This is because developers can easily build and use these tools themselves.
Self-hosting is becoming popular again with modern solutions available. Some companies make it tough to download these options so users rely on their SaaS services instead.
Many businesses are moving away from creating their own authentication systems. They see it as something best handled by specialized vendors, which helps them focus on their main goals.
Choosing a CIAM solution that follows standards like OIDC and SAML can enhance security, thanks to the collective expertise of many developers. This leads to fewer vulnerabilities and better protection for users.
Using a standards-based CIAM system makes it easier for your software to work well with existing tools and libraries. This can speed up development since your team is likely already familiar with these standards.
A standards-compliant CIAM solution offers better portability if you need to switch systems later. It allows for shared practices between different solutions, reducing the need to start from scratch when migrating.
CIAM helps businesses balance security and user experience. If security is too tight, users get frustrated, while loose security can lead to risks.
Without CIAM, companies waste time creating custom access control systems. CIAM makes it easier for developers to manage permissions, so they can focus on product development.
The future of CIAM involves managing machine identities as much as human ones. As automation grows, businesses will need new methods to handle permissions for both types of users.
The CIAM market is growing fast, with estimates ranging from $12.5B in 2024 to $43.6B in 2034. This shows a big interest in managing customer identities.
CIAM is different from IAM, focusing on customers instead of employees. This market is not as big as data storage or CRM but has its own importance.
Companies in this market can earn a lot, but revenue is unevenly spread. Some big firms like Auth0 and Ping pull in significant revenue, while smaller startups are also emerging.
Authorization is just as important as authentication. While authentication is about identifying who someone is, authorization defines what they can do in the system.
It's crucial to set clear rules for what users can and cannot access. Users should be able to manage their own data, but not access or delete data that belongs to others.
Using centralized authorization services makes managing access easier and more consistent. This way, applications can quickly check permissions without getting bogged down in complicated code.
WebAuthn (passkeys) is a standard for easier web authentication, replacing traditional methods like passwords.
Different authentication methods like federated logins or magic links have their own weaknesses, such as shared points of failure and trust issues with remote servers.
WebAuthn improves security using public/private key cryptography, but comes with challenges like handling private keys securely and potential account recovery issues.
Credentials in a CIAM system help identify users through login info, passwords, public keys, MFA, etc.
User Provided Profile Data includes details users share, ranging from basic to complex attributes, gathered during registration or progressively.
Consents in a CIAM system capture user permissions for marketing or legal purposes, different from other profile data as they can be explicitly granted or revoked.
Data modeling involves the choice between normalizing data and using denormalized data, each with its own strengths and tradeoffs.
Normalized data leads to less data duplication and easier data updates, but may result in challenges with historical data and performance.
CIAM systems, along with IAM and directory systems, normalize user data to centralize customer information, providing benefits like easy querying and centralized authentication, but also introducing challenges like session handling and updating data across systems.
Be cautious about who you trust, especially when it comes to user identity verification.
Understand how identity providers verify user identity when offering single sign-on for consumer scenarios.
Mitigate federation risk by carefully choosing who you trust, segmenting users and identity sources, and avoiding matching accounts on mutable attributes.
Passwords are still widely used due to being supported by many applications, being cost-effective, and familiar to users.
Hashing passwords adds a crucial layer of security by making it harder for attackers to retrieve passwords in the event of a breach.
When it comes to password hashing algorithms, it's important to stay updated on recommendations, such as NIST guidelines, and to choose wisely based on current security best practices.
B2C, B2B, and B2B2E applications require different approaches to customer identity and access management (CIAM) systems.
B2C applications aim at end consumers, requiring smooth registration and authentication processes due to user choice.
B2B and B2B2E applications cater to business and employee users, with focus on organization structures, payment collection, and different authentication needs.
CIAM systems help customers authenticate, while IAM systems help employees.
CIAM systems typically have more users than employees.
Key workflows for a CIAM system include authentication, account association, self-service registration, password management, and multi-factor authentication.
CIAM federation allows users to sign in with credentials from another provider like Google or GitHub.
Account linking in federation is crucial to prevent multiple accounts for the same user.
Benefits of federation include centralized access control and a smoother sign-up process, but tradeoffs include potential data limitations and dependence on big providers.
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) is crucial for protecting valuable information while also providing a smooth user experience. Businesses need both security and ease of access for their users.
Many challenges exist with CIAM, especially around the variety of credentials like tokens and keys. It's important to find ways to manage these different types safely and effectively.
The future of CIAM looks promising with innovations that balance security and usability. There's hope for better management of roles and permissions across different systems.
Some accounts don't need strong security, so using email or phone for login is enough. It's easy for users who only want to use something once or rarely.
Many people prefer quick login methods, like magic links or one-time codes, instead of complicated passwords. This reduces hassle and makes using apps simpler.
Removing barriers to access can benefit both users and companies. When login is easier, users are more likely to engage with the app.
CIAM helps keep user access secure and reduces the stress on teams by managing the entire user lifecycle, from registration to access control.
A major challenge for CIAM is staying compliant with global data privacy laws while ensuring a smooth user experience, especially for business-to-consumer products.
The future of CIAM is promising, especially with improvements in security measures and the need for integration with various technologies for better user identity management.
AI agents will need better ways to access user data, and OAuth could provide a way to do that with its scope system. It helps keep user data secure and structured.
The landscape for AI agents is much more fragmented than social platforms. Many smaller companies don't have the systems in place for OAuth, which makes it harder for widespread adoption.
There might be a mix of solutions where big companies lead with better APIs for agents, while smaller ones could use more casual methods to let agents access information, making it tricky for users to manage their data rights.