Password fatigue. Who hasn’t dealt with the exasperating cycle of wrong password, reset password, login – repeat? For every, single, data driven application or website.
The sheer number of passwords the average person is responsible for keeping track of is nothing short of daunting. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine freeing up IT staff from the countless hours they spend wasting valuable resources managing user accounts. What if they could invest their precious time on more worthwhile activities like cyber security or overall IT infrastructure rather than on tasks that produce little value for your organization?
That’s where single sign-on (SSO) comes in.
Simply stated, single sign-on is an authentication method that allows users to log into different websites and apps with a single username and password.
How Does Single Sign-on Work?
The process works by establishing a relationship between a website or application and an identity provider, which would be the SSO system.
Next, two certificates are exchanged that contain identity information in the form of login tokens, such as a username and password. This login token confirms the connection is from a trusted source. While this may sound complicated – and it is – from a user perspective, it all happens so fast you’ll barely notice.
SSO can be a great solution for organizations with multiple applications or websites under one roof not only from an administrative perspective, but also in terms of simplifying the login process for users.
Is your organization utilizing any of the following uses?
Ontech has partnered with LastPass to provide single sign-on solutions for businesses throughout the greater Milwaukee area. SSO is just one feature of the LastPass identity suite.
Businesses of all sizes can enhance security even further by combining enterprise password management (EPM) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) with SSO.
SSO: A Viable Solution for IT Staff and Mobile Workers
Identity management has become increasingly more important in today’s workforce. Workers need to be able to work from anywhere and on-boarding needs to be automated. The days of IT spending precious time on-boarding new workers and protecting sensitive data from those who left are over. There is an easier solution.
What Are the Benefits of SSO with LastPass?
- End password frustration: Rather than fumbling with multiple passwords, users can access applications and websites with a single sign on. This creates happier and more productive users and IT staff. A win/win for everyone.
- Universal access: As the only solution on the market to provide single sign-on biometric authentication and best-in-class password management, LastPass offers security at its finest.
- Total control: With 100+ security policies, user access and authentication is available at an organizational, group or individual level.
- Easy deployment: Adding your first application is simple with over 1,200 SSO integrations.
- Passwordless sign-on: There’s a better alternative to basic authentication with LastPass’s combined single sign-on, multifactor authentication and password management.
- Intelligent authentication: Contextual and biometric intelligence verifies a user’s identity through a combination of factors without the frustration of a standard login procedure.
- Regulatory compliance: Many organizations need to comply with regulations like PCI DSS, SOX or HIPAA. This requires unique ID’s for all employees with resource or device access along with adequate verification for users outside the organization. Failure to adhere to these standards can lead to hefty fines and loss of trust amongst partners’ clients or employees.
- Free up IT resources: From IT desk to internal IT staff, a Gartner study revealed that 20-50% of all IT helpdesk requests are related to credentials. And password resets aren’t cheap either. On average, studies have shown that it costs an enterprise $70 for a single password reset!
While SSO is a great cyber security solution, a layered “Swiss cheese” security approach is always the best way to go. If just one pair of login credentials gets into the wrong hands, trouble is on the horizon. A comprehensive approach is necessary to prevent this.
We live in a data centric society where cyber threats are relentless and ramping up more and more each year. With the cost of ransomware attacks on the rise, gambling on IT security infrastructure is not a risk you can afford to take.
Whether you’re just beginning to strengthen the overall security of your network, or you’ve undergone several steps already, Ontech can offer a fresh pair of eyes and data-driven expertise so you know exactly what is standing between your organization and a major security breach.
Close Security Loopholes Lurking in Your Network
We have several great no-risk options to begin with.
Free Network Discovery – We invite you to request a no-obligation assessment of your existing network security along with ways to strengthen the overall security of your network. Learn more.
Network Security Assessment – Learn more about our comprehensive network security assessment. This is a great place to begin your cyber security journey and find out who has access to your network. Learn more.
