The Benefits of Converged IAM for SMBs: Why Its Better?

26 September 2022

Today’s small and medium businesses are more connected than ever. They can now use a single application to monitor their sales, inventory, shipping, and other operations from their mobile devices. But this explosion of digital connectivity has also led to an increased risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. In fact, a recent study found that the average cost of an insider data breach for a SMB is $62,000! This means that these organizations have to find new ways to protect their digital assets while maintaining ease of access for employees, partners, and customers.

In this blog post you will learn everything about converged identity and access management for Small Medium Businesses (SMBs) and it’s benefits.

What Is Converged IAM?

A converged identity and access management (IAM) solution delivers secure, single sign-on (SSO) authentication across people, devices, and applications. It allows users to access a variety of resources (both within and outside the organization) without having to log in multiple times. Converged IAM allows organizations to draw on all their security features including data loss prevention (DLP), multifactor authentication (MFA), and encryption to create a single consistent policy. Converged IAM is one of the latest trends in the identity and access management (IAM) market, especially in the SMB segment. This technology enables businesses to manage all users and their identities in a single system. This single system usually includes a wide range of features such as self-service, MFA, consent management, and more.

Why SMBs Should Implement Converged IAM

Now that we’ve established what converged IAM is, what it can do for your business and how it benefits your business, we’ll move on to why SMBs should implement it. Here are a few good reasons:

• Security – The biggest reason for implementing converged IAM is to improve security. A converged IAM solution can help secure both your data and your resources, reducing the risk of data breaches.
• Ease of Access – With a converged IAM solution, employees will be able to access the resources they need to do their jobs without having to go through a complicated login process every time. This will improve their productivity and ease of access.
• Simplified Administration – Managing the thousands of logins and passwords used by employees can be a huge headache. A converged IAM solution can help you with administration, making the management of logins and credentials easier.

How to Implement a Converged IAM Solution for SMBs

If you’ve decided that implementing a converged IAM solution is the best way to protect your business, you’ll probably want to know how to go about it. Here are a few general tips that will help you get started:

• Start with the End in Mind – Before you even begin the process of searching for the right solution, take a few minutes to think about your needs. How many users will you have? What are their roles? Which applications do you want to be able to access?
• Do a Self-Assessment – Make sure that you’re ready for the implementation of your new converged IAM product. This means assessing your network and plans for growth. You should also create an inventory of all your applications and their authentication methods.
• Choose a Converged IAM Solution – The best way to find the best converged IAM solution is to start with a thorough review of the options that are out there. Take the time to read product reviews and comparison charts and interview a few vendors.

The Best Converged IAM Solutions for SMBs

Now that you know what to look for in a converged IAM solution, let’s take a look at some popular products. Here are a few good options for SMBs: –

• Okta – This product has been around for a while and is a popular choice among SMBs. It allows users to log in with their existing corporate credentials and also offers single sign-on to third-party applications.
• Ilantus – Ilantus Technologies is a leading provider of Identity and Access Management solutions. As a global company with headquarters in India, they have a rich history of providing innovative IAM solutions to our clients. Their flagship product, Access Manager, is a comprehensive solution that enables organizations to manage user identities, control access to applications, and safeguard sensitive data. Access Manager is available in both on-premises and cloud-based deployments.
• Centrify – Centrify offers a cloud-based solution that makes it easy to manage user identities across on-premises and cloud applications. It also comes with a mobile app for users to self-manage their identities.
• SailPoint – SailPoint has a reputation for being one of the best converged IAM solutions for SMBs. It comes with a wide range of features, including single sign-on and MFA.

How to Monitor SMB Network Activity with a Convergence Platform

Now that you’ve implemented a converged IAM solution, it’s important to keep an eye on network activity. This will help you identify threats and breaches early and reduce the risk of a data breach. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Use a Network Monitoring Solution – You can use a network monitoring solution to keep a lookout for unusual activity. Make sure to choose a solution that offers an IDS/IPS and has clear rules for identifying threats and abnormalities.
• Deploy an Endpoint Detection and Response Solution – An endpoint detection and response solution can help you detect malicious activity on your endpoints. It can identify threats even if they go undetected by your network security solution.
• Implement a Data Loss Prevention Solution – Data loss prevention is a must-have in every organization. It can help you identify and reduce security risks such as data breaches and ransomware attacks.

Conclusion

Converged IAM solutions can help you protect your organization against threats like data breaches and ransomware attacks. They also make it easy for employees to log in to company resources with their existing corporate credentials. A converged IAM solution is the best way to protect your organization. It allows you to draw on all your security features to create a single policy that secures both your data and your resources.