You’ve probably heard the phrase “practice creates perfect” numerous times, however, when there’s no way to be perfect, the repetition becomes dull and monotonous over time.
Multiple logins, repeated access to the same account may feel the same.
Your employees aren’t going to enjoy it when they must keep track of the endless (and often complicated) passwords as well as usernames in order to access all the apps and services or modules within the productivity software you use.
Imagine if the IT department did not have to spend valuable resources and effort managing user accounts? What if you could focus on their core business functions instead of trying to combat “password tiredness”? There’s a solution to accomplish both.
Enter Single Sign-On (SSO).
Single Sign-On: Single Login, Multiple Accounts
The Single Sign-On?
SSO, also known as one-sign-on is an advanced access control system that allows users to sign in using just a set of passwords to a variety of different , but connected devices or touchpoints. Any device, no regardless of the location they are.
An SSO service operates by using an authorization token.
If, for instance, you login to a company resource for example, the SSO creates the token to remember that you’ve been authenticated.
Any website you try to access after this will verify using the single sign-on method first. The SSO sends your authentication code to the site and then you’re able to access it. If, for any reason you’re not yet verified you’ll be asked to confirm your identity using the single sign-on system.
The pace is so quick that you’ll forget about it.
Imagine the SSO to be an intermediary service that can verify that the password and keyword of a user match those of the central database, but without managing the database itself.
Check this website for details on database SSO access.
It’s more like an instance where a liquor store’s manager searches for the bottle of someone else’s by referring to the label of the bottle. The store owner may not have memorized the entire catalog of liquor however, they are able to access any bottle at any time.
In a highly sensitive environment like banking or healthcare it is important not to put your trust in documents, data resources, data or anything else. You need centralized access control that provide complete control over access rights for users. Single sign-on technology gives you the ability on an elegant silver platter.
Let’s not get bogged down in the definitions. Let’s get into the “juicy” aspect: SSO advantages and why you shouldn’t think twice about including it in your toolbox for managing users. Should we?
6 Advantages of Single Sign-On
1. SSO elevates user experience
What number of times found yourself frustrated because you could not remember the username and password of your user for a particular app? Twice? Thrice? Many times?
SSO provides a much-needed respite in this area.
Employees (or anyone else) aren’t required to type into logins several times. They don’t need to wait for password requests to gain access to essential corporate tools. This makes them a happy efficient, content, and productive bunch with no reason to rest in their awe.
2. SSO can cut down on time
Humans aren’t machines. While we’d wish to have dozens of login passwords but we’re wired to lose a few or, in certain situations the entire list. Urgh!
Set password. Forget password. Reset password.
It’s a painful situation on a personal scale and it’s even more frustrating at the enterprise level when IT personnel have an abundance of data that need to be secured as well as a myriad of network resources to provide and many other vital obligations to perform.
It’s an unnecessary waste on the time (and the resources) in the event that an IT team is handling password misuse requests rather than.
When you implement SSO the users can access the whole suite of corporate resources through a single “portal” and using just one login–not hundreds. One-click access to required modules or services provides tangible and lasting benefits for time saving.
3. Single sign-on speeds up speed when it is needed the most
In high-stake industries like finance and healthcare, or in large enterprises where many departments and employees demand fast-paced and steady access to the same applications/services, SSO can be incredibly useful.
In these kinds of environments, delay in access, misappropriation of passwords and compromised accessibility to resources or tools could be the gap between life or death.
4. SSO aids in regulatory compliance
It’s no secret that companies have to comply with numerous regulations such as SOX, HIPAA, and most importantly, PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Security Standard).
This requires companies to allocate unique IDs for all employees who have access to devices or resources and provide appropriate verification to external users.
Infractions to an obligation could lead to massive fines, and other unfavorable consequences such as losing trust of clients, partners or even employees. It’s not what you want to happen, would you?
SSO assists you in complying with the rules laid out in the overall world of everything, providing accurate access reporting and safe file sharing.
5. Reduces IT Helpdesk costs
Because a single sign-on option minimizes how many login details one is required to manage Users are less likely to issue a password reset request to the IT department.
We don’t want to admit that, but the reality is that tickets are fairly common.
In reality, Gartner says that 20%-50 percent in all IT helpdesk inquiries are related to credentials. It’s no surprise that these tickets are expensive, and with Forrester estimates the price for a single reset of passwords to be no under $25. This is a threat you’ll want to avoid at all cost and SSO assists you in doing this easily.
6. SSO improves security
Ooh, security. Single sign-on and security are almost unbreakable. If you’re unaware that the entire purpose of the “once-only” password is designed to improve the security of highly sensitive corporate resources.
I’ll remind you of this. Remember the information we discussed about authentication tokens? The token is stored within the main SSO servers or databases, and not the actual service that users attempt to access on a daily basis. This only means one thing: the resource is not able to store sensitive login information.
In this way, in a certain degree it is true that the SSO is a central authentication point. It reduces the chance of malware or phishing attacks.