Why KeyCloak Is the Best IAM Solution for Enterprise Software Development

With the rise of cloud services, mobile applications, and interconnected systems, enterprises have encountered unprecedented pressure from cyber threats.

In order to safeguard sensitive information and reinforce the security posture, robust identity and access management have become a top priority of the IT infrastructure in any enterprise.

Traditional authentication and authorization methods often become bulky and susceptible to security breaches.

As a result, Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions have become indispensable for providing sensitive data’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

KeyCloak, a robust open-source IAM platform, has gained popularity as a valuable tool for simplifying identity management and enhancing security in enterprise app development.

In this article, we delve into the diverse advantages and features of KeyCloak, showcasing its potential to transform the way enterprises handle user access and security.

What Is Access and Identity Management Software?

Access and Identity Management software consists of frameworks designed to manage users’ digital identities within an organization and control their access to various resources, applications, and data.

IAM contains authentication, authorization, and user management functionalities, giving administrators centralized control over user access rights.

IAM operates on the principle of granting the right access to the right users at the right time. When a user attempts to access an application or resource, the IAM system verifies the user’s identity through authentication.

Once authenticated, the system determines the user’s access privileges based on predefined authorization rules and policies.

Why Identity and Access Management System Is Essential for Enterprise Applications

As organizations adopt lots of applications and services for their operations, managing user identities and their access rights becomes quite challenging.

Identity and Access Management solutions are designed to address these challenges. They provide a comprehensive framework for managing user identities, controlling application access, and securing sensitive information.

The best part of IAM is that it serves as a single solution for all these internal applications and services. It means that every single system doesn’t need its own IAM solution. It simply integrates with the general one.

This integration usually takes place using standard protocols that are supported by all modern services and applications. And this, in turn, significantly simplifies and cheapens the development process.

What Makes KeyCloak a Leading Open-Source Identity and Access Management Solution

KeyCloak is an open-source identity and access management solution that has gained widespread recognition as a leader in the identity management area.

Developed by Red Hat, KeyCloak boasts a rich set of features and a thriving community. Let’s explore some of its main features.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

KeyCloak allows users to log in once and access different applications without having to re-authenticate. When a user successfully logs into one app, KeyCloak generates an authentication token that is securely used to authorize the user’s access to other apps.

This login process promotes user productivity, reduces the risk of using weak passwords, and simplifies the overall user experience.

Social Login

KeyCloak supports social media authentication, allowing users to sign in to KeyCloak-enabled applications using their existing social media accounts, such as Google, Facebook, or Twitter.

Social login eliminates the need for users to create new credentials for each application, making the registration and login processes more convenient and user-friendly.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

To enhance security, KeyCloak offers Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) methods. MFA requires users to pass various forms of authentication before accessing applications.

KeyCloak supports various MFA methods, such as verification codes via SMS or email, time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs), and even biometric authentication.

This additional layer of security safeguards against unsanctioned access if passwords are ever compromised.

Identity Federation

KeyCloak makes it easy to connect with external identity providers using identity federation.

With support for well-known protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect, users can log in to enterprise apps using their credentials from trusted external sources.

This accelerates user onboarding, as they can use their existing accounts to access multiple apps within the enterprise ecosystem.

Why KeyCloak Is One of the Best Identity and Access Management Tools for Enterprise Software

KeyCloak has earned its reputation as a top enterprise IAM solution thanks to several reasons:

• Constant Improvement: KeyCloak regularly releases updates with numerous improvements, bug fixes, and security boosts. This ensures that the solution always remains reliable and up-to-date.
• Vast Community: With a large and active community, KeyCloak benefits from extensive testing, feedback, and ongoing support. The community’s involvement leads to a more stable and secure product.
• Administrative Console: KeyCloak provides a convenient administrative console that helps you manage users, groups, and roles. Content Managers and administrators can easily manage user accounts, adjust access rights, and review authentication logs through the console. This centralized control reduces administrative work and improves the efficiency of IAM management.
• Easy Integration: KeyCloak integrates well with different programming languages, frameworks, and platforms, making it easy to implement into existing enterprise applications.
• Diverse Deployment Options: KeyCloak’s flexibility allows organizations to deploy it as an on-premises or cloud IAM solution. This adaptability meets different organizations’ specific needs and preferences, regardless of their existing infrastructure and cloud strategies.

Possible Ways of Configuration and Integration with Enterprise Applications

KeyCloak offers multiple configuration options and integration methods for enterprise applications. They’re all well-explained in the corresponding documentation. On top of that, if you run into big problems, there’s always a helpful community ready to assist you. Here are some common methods:

Direct Integration

Developers can integrate KeyCloak’s mechanisms directly into their applications using KeyCloak’s libraries or APIs.

This method offers better control over authentication and authorization processes and is suitable for apps that require much customization.

Proxy-Based Integration

In a proxy-based integration, organizations set up a reverse proxy in front of the application to handle authentication and authorization tasks. The reverse proxy communicates with KeyCloak to validate user credentials and forwards authenticated requests to the application.

This approach can be helpful when integrating KeyCloak with legacy applications that don’t support modern authentication protocols.

Identity Federation

As we mentioned above, KeyCloak supports various identity federation protocols. Identity federation allows organizations to quickly and easily integrate external identity providers (IDPs), allowing users to log in to KeyCloak-enabled applications using their credentials from trusted external IDPs.

Comparison with Existing Solutions

To illustrate KeyCloak’s advantages, let’s compare it with two other popular IAM solutions.

KeyCloak Vs. OpenIAM

Unlike OpenIAM, KeyCloak is entirely open-source. This means KeyCloak offers transparency, allows organizations to review its source code, and confirms there are no hidden components that could cause security issues. Moreover, KeyCloak has an active development community, which promotes faster updates and bug fixes.

KeyCloak Vs. FreeIPA

While FreeIPA is also open-source, it primarily focuses on Linux-based environments and is more suitable for centralized user management. In contrast, KeyCloak offers broader support for various platforms and applications, making it a more diversified IAM solution.

Conclusion

KeyCloak is a powerful and flexible IAM solution for enterprise software development.

Its centralized identity management, SSO capabilities, support for various authentication methods, and precise authorization make it a great tool for better security and user experience in modern applications.

With KeyCloak, organizations can focus on building powerful and feature-rich systems while effectively protecting user identities and access.

As an open-source project, KeyCloak continues to evolve and improve, making it a great choice for businesses looking for a complete IAM solution that aligns with industry best practices.

Are you looking for expert assistance in developing cutting-edge web applications that seamlessly integrate with Keycloak? At SCAND, we have 5+ years of experience in using Keycloak to its fullest potential within Enterprise Solutions.

Our proven track record includes successful migrations from outdated IAM services, and we’re excited to extend this expertise to you.