IT organizations have deep priority lists, so why would they focus on something as mundane as a directory service?
Do organizations even need a directory service anymore with IT resources shifting to the cloud, systems being expendable, and users working remotely?
We may be biased, but we believe that there has never been a more important time to build the foundation of your IT organization with a modern cloud identity provider. This blog post will detail why every organization needs a directory service.
Why Directory Services?
The core reason for a directory service to exist within an organization is to manage the relationships between users and their IT resources. Because that matrix grows quickly and the number of combinations and permutations of access can get unwieldy quickly, the concept of a directory service makes a great deal of sense. The directory effectively knows who should have access to what resources, either individually or through groups that they are a part of. When users request access to IT resources, those IT resources check with the directory service to see if the person should be granted access.
Why should Cloud Directory Services be a Priority?
With a growing user population and list of IT assets, it is easy to see why a central directory of these connections is powerful. IT admins only have one place to add users, terminate users, or modify their access. Those changes are then valid for any IT resources that check with the directory service for access rights. On the other side of the equation, IT admins simply have every IT resource point their authentication path towards the directory service. There is no need to manage user access individually on each IT resource. This saves IT organizations tremendous time, builds in consistency, and is a scalable system.
What else can Directory Services do?
All of these are excellent reasons for IT organizations to implement a directory service, but there are other critical reasons as well. Perhaps the most significant in modern times is security. Identities are perhaps the most critical digital asset within an organization. They are the keys to the digital kingdom, and a lost or stolen key can wreak havoc within an organization. A modern cloud directory service makes significant strides to protect identities with one-way hashed and salted passwords, stringent password complexity settings, SSH key management, and multi-factor authentication.
In addition to productivity, efficiency, and security, there is another benefit to having a directory service, and that is agility. With the right directory service, IT organizations can choose a wide range of IT resources that can benefit the organization. They aren’t tied to a certain type of solution or vendor. A modern identity provider that can connect users to IT resources regardless of platform, protocol, provider, or location gives IT organizations tremendous flexibility to choose the right IT resources for their organization.
How Do I Learn More About Directory Services?
With a shifting IT landscape, directory services have become a category that IT organizations should take seriously. Not only can it save tremendous time and resources, but it can be critical to controlling and securing the IT infrastructure. If you would like to learn more about why every organization needs a directory service, drop us a note. We’d be happy to discuss it with you.