Overview
Identity as a Service (IDaaS) is a service model that enables organizations to manage user identities, authentication processes and application access rights through a cloud-based central platform. Capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), automated creation and removal of user accounts (provisioning/deprovisioning), self-service password reset and access control are consolidated into a single identity layer. Employees, business partners and customers can thus access on-premises, SaaS and cloud applications with a single trusted identity, within defined policies.
Identity is the new perimeter of modern enterprise security. With remote work, the spread of SaaS applications and hybrid cloud architectures, the traditional network boundary has largely lost its meaning. Rather than trying to breach the firewall, attackers now prefer to log in directly with stolen or weak passwords. Phishing, credential stuffing and password spraying attacks are the most common initial vectors in organizations that lack strong, centralized identity management. IDaaS reduces this risk at its source by strengthening authentication itself.
Technically, the IDaaS ecosystem is built on open standards. SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) provide federated sign-in to web applications, OAuth 2.0 handles API access authorization, and SCIM 2.0 enables automatic synchronization of user and group information to applications. FIDO2/WebAuthn and passkey technologies make passwordless, phishing-resistant authentication possible. Microsoft Entra ID, Okta and the open-source Keycloak are the leading platforms in this space, while existing Active Directory or LDAP directories are connected to the cloud identity layer through synchronization agents.
In organizations without centralized identity management, risks accumulate quickly. When every application means a separate user database, different password policies and scattered permissions, the accounts of departing staff remain open for weeks, and orphan accounts and excessive privileges proliferate. When audit time comes, the question "who has access to which system, with which privileges?" cannot be answered. While KVKK (Turkish Personal Data Protection Law) expects access to personal data to be controlled and logged, a fragmented identity structure increases both the risk of breaches and the risk of administrative sanctions. Password reset requests reaching the help desk also generate a hidden but significant operational cost.
Indexline treats IDaaS not as a license installation but as a managed identity operation. We analyze your existing directory structure, application inventory and access processes to jointly select the platform that fits your needs; we then design the architecture, integrate applications, deploy MFA and conditional access policies, and continuously operate the platform after go-live. Monitoring identity events, analyzing suspicious sign-ins, bringing new applications under SSO, updating policies and conducting periodic access reviews are all carried out within the scope of Indexline's managed service, while your teams focus on business priorities.
How It Works
Identity Inventory and Analysis: Existing Active Directory/LDAP directories, user types, application inventory, authentication methods and access processes are analyzed; orphan accounts and excessive privileges are reported.
Architecture and Platform Selection: Based on business requirements, regulation and budget, the appropriate platform such as Entra ID, Okta or Keycloak is selected; hybrid directory synchronization, federation and high availability architecture are designed.
Directory Synchronization: Secure synchronization is established between the on-premises directory and the cloud identity layer; the source of truth, attribute mappings and group structure are clearly defined.
Application Integration: SaaS, web and on-premises applications are brought under SSO via SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect; for supported applications, automatic account provisioning and deprovisioning are configured with SCIM 2.0.
MFA and Conditional Access: Conditional access policies based on user, device, location and risk signals are defined; FIDO2, passkey, push notification or TOTP-based MFA is rolled out in phases.
Lifecycle Automation: Through integration with the HR system, account and permission changes are applied automatically during onboarding, role changes and offboarding (joiner-mover-leaver) processes.
Pilot and Phased Migration: The live environment is first validated with a pilot user group; migration then proceeds department by department, accompanied by user training and a communication plan, to avoid business disruption.
Managed Operations and Improvement: Identity events are monitored 24/7, suspicious sign-ins are analyzed, periodic access reviews are conducted, and policies and scope are continuously improved through monthly reports.
Key Features
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Users access all SaaS, web and on-premises applications with a single identity. Standards-based federation is provided through SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect.
Multi-Factor Authentication
A phishing-resistant MFA layer is built with FIDO2 security keys, passkeys, push notifications and TOTP options.
Conditional and Risk-Based Access
Based on device compliance, location, session risk and user role, access is dynamically granted, challenged with additional verification or blocked.
Automated Provisioning
With SCIM 2.0 and HR integration, accounts are created automatically at onboarding and disabled instantly across all integrated applications at offboarding.
Hybrid Directory Integration
Your existing Active Directory and LDAP infrastructure is preserved and securely connected to the cloud identity layer, eliminating duplicate identity management.
Self-Service Portal
Users reset passwords, register MFA devices and request application access on their own, reducing the help desk workload.
Access Reviews
Through periodic access certification campaigns, managers approve or revoke their teams' permissions, and audit evidence is generated automatically.
Identity Event Monitoring
Sign-in and administration logs are forwarded to the SIEM; anomalies such as impossible travel, unusual locations and password spraying are monitored 24/7.
Benefits & Advantages
Strong MFA and conditional access policies significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access with stolen passwords.
Departing employees' access to applications connected to the identity platform is revoked within minutes, largely eliminating the risk of orphan accounts.
Users access all applications with a single identity; password fatigue ends, and productivity and user satisfaction increase.
Help desk costs fall because password resets and account requests are handled through self-service and automation.
Since user access and permission changes are logged centrally and can be reported in real time, preparation for KVKK, ISO 27001 and industry audits becomes easier.
New SaaS applications and acquired companies are brought into the identity infrastructure within days through a standard integration process.
Thanks to the managed service model, you gain an identity platform that is monitored 24/7 and continuously updated, without the need to build a specialized identity team.
Industry Use Cases
Finance / Banking
A participation bank brought more than 40 internal applications under SSO and made FIDO2 mandatory for privileged operations; the time needed to prepare access reports for audits dropped from weeks to hours.
Healthcare
A hospital group enabled fast and secure sign-in for shift-working medical staff; HIS (HBYS) and PACS access was authorized on a role basis, and access to patient data was logged.
Manufacturing
A multi-site manufacturer unified factory and headquarters users in a single identity infrastructure; with HR integration, account provisioning time dropped from 3 days to 15 minutes.
Retail / E-Commerce
Orphan accounts created by high turnover among store employees were cleaned up through automated deprovisioning; password reset requests fell by 60%.
Public Sector
A public institution enforced conditional access and MFA for applications that process personal data; KVKK access control requirements were documented with centralized logs.
Education
A university provided students and faculty with single-identity access to the learning management system, e-mail and library services; the start-of-term account provisioning workload was fully automated.
The Indexline Approach
Identity projects are more about process than technology. An IDaaS platform can be set up within a few weeks; but if it is unclear what the source of identity will be, how roles will be defined, who will approve which access and how the offboarding process will be triggered, the platform simply moves the disorder to the cloud. That is why Indexline begins every project with an identity governance exercise carried out together with HR, IT, security and business units, and builds the technical design on top of this process model.
In the Zero Trust approach (NIST SP 800-207), every access request is verified using identity, device and context information, regardless of network location. In this architecture, IDaaS is the core component that supplies identity and context signals to the policy decision point (PDP) and, thanks to its conditional access engine, makes that decision itself in most scenarios. Rather than enforcing conditional access policies strictly all at once, Indexline first runs them in report-only mode, measures their impact and then makes them mandatory in phases. This raises the security level while preventing users from being unable to do their work.
Passwordless authentication is one of the rare areas where security and user experience move in the same direction. SMS and simple approval notifications offer limited protection against phishing and MFA fatigue attacks. Indexline recommends expanding the use of FIDO2 security keys and passkeys, starting with administrator and privileged accounts, and positioning number-matching push verification as the standard during the transition period.
IDaaS does not replace privileged access management; it works alongside it. While end-user identities are managed on the IDaaS platform, high-privilege access to servers, databases and network devices should be controlled with IAM & PAM solutions through session recording, vaulted credentials and a just-in-time privilege model. Indexline designs these two layers under a single identity strategy and correlates identity events together in the SIEM.
In our managed service model, go-live is just the beginning. Identity platforms change constantly: new applications are added, organizational structures are updated, attack techniques evolve and platform providers release new features. Indexline reports monthly on policy health, MFA coverage, the number of orphan accounts, failed sign-in trends and access review completion rates, updates the roadmap based on the findings, and ensures that your identity infrastructure always remains ready for current threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between IDaaS and on-premises Active Directory?
Active Directory is a directory service designed for Windows systems on the internal network and works with the Kerberos/LDAP protocols. IDaaS, on the other hand, manages access to SaaS and cloud applications with modern protocols such as SAML, OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0, and delivers capabilities such as MFA and conditional access from the cloud. In most organizations the two work together: AD remains the identity source, while IDaaS becomes the control layer for cloud access.
Do we need to change our existing Active Directory structure?
No. Your existing AD or LDAP directory is connected to the cloud identity layer through synchronization agents, and users continue to sign in with their existing credentials. We recommend a directory cleanup (stale accounts, inconsistent attributes, unnecessary groups) before migration; this work is part of the analysis phase.
Which IDaaS platform should we choose?
The choice depends on your existing ecosystem, application inventory, regulatory requirements and budget. Entra ID may be a natural choice for organizations centered on Microsoft 365; Okta is worth considering if a broad SaaS integration catalog and vendor independence are important; and if your data must remain entirely within your own infrastructure, the open-source Keycloak can be operated on premises or in a domestic cloud. Indexline evaluates these criteria together and provides a vendor-neutral recommendation.
How is KVKK compliance ensured when using IDaaS?
Identity data qualifies as personal data; therefore, the location where the data is processed, whether it is transferred abroad and the data processing agreements must be evaluated. For platforms hosted abroad, the cross-border transfer provisions of KVKK must be taken into account; for organizations subject to data localization requirements, solutions such as Keycloak can be operated on infrastructure located in Türkiye. Centralized access logs and access reviews also make it easier to document the technical measures required under KVKK.
Doesn't SSO create a single point of failure?
A properly designed IDaaS architecture is built on high availability; cloud platforms run across multiple regions, while on-premises components are deployed redundantly. In addition, emergency (break-glass) accounts to be used when the platform is unreachable are defined with strong, securely stored credentials and monitored so that every use triggers an alert. From a security standpoint, a single, strongly protected identity point is far more defensible than dozens of applications with weak passwords.
Which MFA method is the most secure?
FIDO2/WebAuthn-based security keys and passkeys are phishing-resistant because they cryptographically bind authentication to the domain name. Under the NIST SP 800-63B framework, hardware-based FIDO2 security keys can meet the requirements of AAL3, the highest assurance level, while passkeys synchronized across devices provide phishing-resistant authentication at the AAL2 level. Number-matching push notifications and TOTP apps offer a good intermediate level. SMS and voice calls, however, are recommended only as a transitional or backup method due to SIM swap and phishing risks.
Can on-premises (legacy) applications also be brought under SSO?
Yes. Older web applications that do not support SAML or OIDC can be placed behind IDaaS using application proxies, header-based authentication or reverse proxy solutions. This provides remote access under conditional access and MFA protection without exposing the application directly to the internet. For applications that support no modern method at all, SSO based on password vaulting can be used as an alternative.
How long does an IDaaS migration take, and how does it affect users?
In a mid-sized organization, analysis, design and integration of the first group of applications usually take 6-10 weeks; the remaining applications are brought into scope in waves. The migration starts with a pilot group, and users are given short guides and training on MFA registration and the new sign-in experience. Thanks to the phased approach, users experience no disruption; for most of them, the result is fewer passwords and faster access.