CIAM Solutions- FAQ3: What is the best user store type for your IAM solution?

Auser store is one of the key components in an IAM solution. As the name suggests user-store is utilized in storing user information or user identity data. User identity information is categorized as critical data of an organization. If this information is breached, the trust towards the organization and the reputation of the company would be lost. Moreover, restoring trust and reputation is utterly expensive and time-driven. Hence, selecting a correct user store with proper security measures is a must when building an online system.

What are the main types of user-stores available in the market (cloud or on-prem)?

• LDAP — OpenLDAP, Enterprise LDAP

LDAP/S is the protocol that defines how users, devices, and clients can communicate with a directory server. LDAP also provides a framework for how information can be organized and represented within a directory. These directory types follow a hierarchical tree structure. Open LDAP is an open-source implementation of LDAP protocol.

• Active Directory— Local AD, Azure AD

Active Directory is a directory service that stores user and device account data in a central location for Windows-based network, device, application, and file access. This was introduced by Microsoft/Windows as an on-prem directory service and later moved to the cloud as Azure AD. AD is comprised of more features than…