An Interview With Aviad Mizrachi
Hiya,
This is another in my series of interviews about the future of CIAM from experts in the space.
Aviad Mizrachi is the CTO and co-founder of frontegg. He’s been coding for more than 25 years now. Aviad is enthusiastic about solving complex development problems and reaching maximum developer efficiency. Fun fact? Aviad plays the tuba.
I’m excited to hear Aviad’s views on CIAM, identity and more.
Dan: What problems do you see customer identity and access management (CIAM) solving for your customers?
Aviad: The first and most important problem that Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solves is providing secure access for users to applications. By entrusting user security and profiling to a specialized CIAM tool, organizations can ensure that their users are authenticated and authorized effectively. This not only protects sensitive data but also gives our customers peace of mind, knowing that their security infrastructure is robust and managed by experts.
CIAM solutions handle the entire user lifecycle, which means they manage everything from user registration to profile management and access control. This comprehensive approach reduces the burden on development and product teams to develop and maintain complex security protocols, allowing them to focus on core business activities.
Additionally, what we see is that CIAM addresses the complexity of integrating diverse applications. As businesses grow and adopt various technologies, CIAM solutions elevate beyond simple login functions to offer a complete suite of identity services.
They act as a centralized platform that can seamlessly integrate with existing technology stacks—and even with other Identity Providers (IDPs) and CIAM tools—reducing implementation complexity.
Dan: What are major challenges you see with CIAM (in the industry, in implementation, etc)?
Aviad: One of the major challenges I see with customers (specifically global customers) would be major compliance with global data privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and other regional laws. Navigating these complex and ever-evolving regulations demands a deep understanding of legal requirements and the ability to adapt systems accordingly.
Another major challenge would be user experience. Customers expect seamless, intuitive interactions with minimal friction, specifically when dealing with B2C products. Balancing security measures with ease of use—such as implementing single sign-on, social logins, and personalized user journeys—is another art of CIAM.
Lastly, deployment methods can significantly complicate matters. Running a CIAM project becomes particularly challenging when numerous technologies and products are involved. This is especially true in multi-product, global deployments, where the diversity of technologies increases the complexity of implementation
Dan: What excites you about the future of CIAM? Any predictions?
Aviad: I believe the future of CIAM is incredibly exciting. Firstly, the advancement of generative AI is leading to much more sophisticated cyber attacks. This evolution will require CIAM tools to adapt and strengthen their security measures to effectively counter these complex threats.
Additionally, the complexity of managing diverse applications requires CIAM solutions to elevate beyond mere login functionalities and offer a comprehensive suite of identity services that serve as a centralized platform for user identity management.
Furthermore, like in any other market, the available solutions need to be integration-ready. This means you can seamlessly deploy a solution that integrates with your existing technology stack and, at times, even with other Identity Providers (IDPs) and CIAM tools.
Thanks again to Aviad for sharing his perspective, and thanks to you for reading!
Dan