Many organizations require their consumers or employees to log in every time they access a service. And more often than not, there are multiple services. So, it becomes tedious to memorize multiple usernames and passwords!
There is a simple solution for this problem - the Single Sign-On feature that allows consumers to use a single name and password to access multiple applications. However, there’s a catch.
According to the Risk-Based Security report of 2020, the number of breached records in the same year was a staggering 36 billion! This is not really surprising because most organizations store different kinds of information - consumer profiles, financial information, reports, etc. - making them vulnerable to cyberhackers.
Now, the stats don’t look favorable to organizations, but if the right security protocols and safety measures are implemented, it is possible to keep data secure. But, what does this have to do with SSO?
Simple - it is important to narrow down the right SSO strategy to keep data safe from hackers. In this post, we provide some pointers to keep in mind when choosing the right SSO strategy.
Identifying Your SSO Needs
Every organization has a different business model, and to develop the right strategy, the needs of the organization must be considered.
Security risks
The first thing you need to consider when developing an SSO strategy is your organization's current security risks. An example would be the number of access points that are available to consumers. The greater the number of access points, the more avenues of attack one provides to these hackers.
With the advent of remote, mobile, and fluid workforces, several of whom may choose to access company resources through various (possibly untrustworthy) devices, access points have rapidly risen in number.
Costly access management operations
The costs of identity and access management often entail several components, including the technology platform, IT overheads, and any required physical infrastructure. The initial costs of establishing this system can be relatively high. It is easy to go overboard with it or make expensive choices that are not suitable for the company.
Smart investment is essential here, and the right tools can have a massive impact on the ROI in terms of minimizing risk, securing identities, and better compliance.
Employee productivity
Efficient frameworks always contribute to increased employee productivity. Automated provisioning can significantly reduce the involvement of security administration and the IT department workload.
Even though the initial investment may be high, total business costs, in the long run, are reduced through avoiding errors and mitigating breach-related expenses and risk for consumers.
Develop Your Single Sign-On Strategy
An SSO strategy tailor-made as per the company’s needs can be a massive boost to the pace of business operations, as several security processes are streamlined. Bug Bounty and Data vulnerabilities are fortified, and the overall consumer experience is improved as inefficiencies in the system are ironed out.
What to look for when choosing a single sign-on solution
Customizable user experience
A good single sign-on solution should allow for customization. This means enterprises will have the freedom to revamp the appearance of the login page to their liking.
Customization also allows for the addition of a variety of authentication methods, besides passwords, that the company may deem necessary, for example, biometrics.
Easy-to-use mobile interface
The ubiquity of smartphones and the convenience of using these devices for work means that many employees may prefer to log in from the comfort of their mobile phones.
Companies need to take this into account for their security and SSO protocols and strategy. The right service provider understands the importance of a smartphone user interface and adapts their service to suit the features of these devices.
Secure directory and authentication
Undeniably, consumer data security is the utmost priority, and an accomplished SSO provider can fortify the organization's directory with robust safeguards. Access levels and authentication protocols for each level can be constructed in any form as per the company's requirements.
LoginRadius SSO: Connecting People with SSO
The LoginRadius SSO solution offers the service across myriad devices with a variety of authentication methods and the most robust security measures. The benefits of choosing LoginRadius SSO are listed below.
Security Benefits
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) centralizes the login process and eliminates the need for third-party websites that store passwords. This translates into lesser vulnerabilities for cyber attackers to exploit. Besides this, the two-factor and multi-factor authentication further fortify defenses by adding multiple protection layers during authentication.
IT Benefits
The implementation of the LoginRadius SSO reduces the workload for the IT department. The flexibility of the service allows it to be implemented in a variety of ways, on web applications SSO, on mobile devices SSO, with third-party applications (federated SSO), and custom IDP (Identity Provider) for guest login. Easy one-click access simplifies the process for any large-scale deployment to consumers.
Employee Benefits
The inefficiencies that LoginRadius SSO eliminates frees up a significant amount of time preventing IT issues before they occur. Gartner's study has indicated that up to 50% of help desk calls are related to login troubles. The centralization and streamlining of these operations free up access to information while strengthening security. What each employee can access is up to the company's discretion.
Conclusion
We have explained the importance of having an SSO strategy that fits the organization’s security needs in this article. It is also essential to choose an SSO solution that is customizable and easy-to-use. The LoginRadius SSO is known for its auto-scalable infrastructure and global compliance. It is also super easy to configure!
If you would like to speak to an expert about developing an SSO strategy for your organization, please click to your Book A Demo Link.
