Maximizing Security and Efficiency with Single Sign-On Technology

Single sign-on (SSO) is a technology that allows users to authenticate themselves once with a single set of login credentials, such as a username and password. 

Well... You might ask - “Why is it important for me to access multiple applications or services without having to enter my credentials again?”

If you are constantly facing difficulty remembering multiple login credentials and always find yourself asking the IT help desk to reset your passwords, this article is for you.

The issue

With reference to the 3rd Annual Global Password Security Report by LastPass (2019), the average number of passwords an employee has to use ranges from 54 to 97 and differs across industries. Hence, this results in employees experiencing password fatigue.

It is no doubt that more than half of the people have forgotten their work passwords and have had to reset it in the last three months (HYPR, 2019).

Our data shows that employees reuse a password an average of 13 times (LastPass, 2019).

This not only compromises the security of confidential information but also affects employee productivity as they spend more time accessing multiple applications instead of getting work done. 

The solution

With SSO, users can seamlessly move between different systems and applications without having to remember multiple login credentials. SSO works by storing user authentication data in a centralized directory or repository, which can be accessed by various applications and systems.

Balancing user security and productivity in an environment can be tricky.

Combining single sign-on (SSO) with multi-factor authentication (MFA) helps to significantly improves the security of the implementation. When a user tries to access a service through SSO, the SSO solution's centralized server first checks for a valid token. If no valid token is detected, the user must log in using their credentials. 

By incorporating MFA into the login process, users are required to provide at least two different types of evidence to prove their identity before access is granted. This multi-layered approach makes it much more difficult for malicious actors to breach and control the system, as they would need to compromise two distinct categories of evidence to gain access. 

As a result, combining SSO with MFA provides a highly secure way to streamline user authentication and access to multiple applications or services. Additionally, improving the user experience as this eliminates the need for users to remember and manage multiple usernames and passwords.

At i-Sprint, we are committed to help our clients protect their business from cyber threats such as data leakage.

As a world-class Identity and Access Management Solution provider, we also offer a full suite of identity and access management solutions.

Speak to our specialist today to find out more about what we do: https://www.i-sprint.com/contactus/