Identity as a Service: A Cloud Based Common Capability Applying Horizontal Service Design to Identity

Driven by benefits in cost efficiency, scale, ease of access and of resource, service and information sharing, the cloud is becoming the power engine to pervasive ICT (Information and Communication Technology). Identity and Access Management has become a prime target to enable trust establishment for cloud services and IoT (Internet of Things). Turning IAM (Identity and Access Management) solutions into IDaaS (Identity as a Service) helps providing ubiquitous identity solutions. In this paper we present a framework for IDaaS emphasizing the aspects relating to identity federation and life- cycle management. Our design approach allows re-sellers and users to view and validate compliance requirements. We present identity as holistic and centralised function and we articulate the benefit of such approach emphasizing on improvements in assurance and trustworthiness. We investigate specific trust issues and suggest identity assurance checks that give organisations the required insight to understand risks, and techniques to mitigate these risks.