What is the “cloud identity?” The “cloud identity” begins at the birth of the user’s “digital identity” and includes the attributes to define “who you are.” “Cloud Identity” is not a new term to those in the industry, but one that has definitely taken hold as the way to define “you” in the cloud. Much focus has been on how to “enable” a secure authentication event (through mechanisms like ADFS or Shibboleth), which is a key component of securing the transaction between Identity Providers (“IdP”) and Service Providers (“SP”). However, too little focus has been placed on the fundamental component required to “ensure” the integrity of the transaction; and by “integrity,” I mean that the person is right, the attributes are right, and the values are right The integrity of a “cloud identity” transaction can only be secured by sound identity management practices, with a razor-sharp focus on attribute management and policy enforcement.

Competent attribute management is the foundation of securing the “cloud identity.” It is the attribute and its corresponding value that ultimately determine the digital identity of an individual (or entity). When you consider the level of accuracy required (if your true goal is the validity of the transaction) in a cloud-centric world, you will concede the importance of properly representing the user in the cloud. When you consider attributes within this context, it becomes clear why identity management (IdM\) is the epicenter for securing the cloud identity. Read more about Best Practices to Secure the Cloud with Identity Management