The Benefits of Enabling SSO
Online services require different usernames, passwords and security questions. Managing all these credentials can be challenging, even for SMBs.
That’s why 70% of Beauceron Platform users prefer Single Sign-On (SSO) as opposed to manually entering their credentials each time they log into the Platform.
SSO speeds up the process of authentication without compromising security measures. Once SSO is enabled – forget about it! The heavy lifting is no longer on SOC’s shoulders and is the responsibility of a third-party authenticator or identity provider.
What is SSO and How Does it Work?
SSO works as an identity provider. It lets other, trusted websites verify users, which means that your organization is not responsible for holding and managing users’ login credentials.
SSO lets users login once with a single username and password to one service and access is then granted to additional sites and accounts through a third-party authenticator or identity provider.
When SSO is activated, tokens are used to communicate a user’s identity to the website or application they are trying to reach through “small collections of structural information that are digitally signed” and retrieved by the identity provider or third-party authenticator. The identity provider then gives that information to the service provider, or website, that the user is trying to login to. These tokens communicate to the service provider the user’s identity without using traditional login credentials like a password and username - which means that in the event of a cybersecurity breach or hack, the user’s credentials remain secure as they have not been shared or communicated via the tokens.
Without SSO, logging in looks like this:
You attempt to log into a website and are presented with a login screen.
You enter your credentials and answer any security identification questions.
The website will then issue a tracker to trace your actions on the website.
Repeat steps 1-3 each time you attempt to login.
With SSO, it looks like this:
If you aren’t already logged in, select the identity provider and let them do the work.
The identity provider checks your credentials and the website’s credentials, and verifies your identity based on the information you have already given them. They then issue a token to the website you are trying to log into, and that’s it!
Why Use SSO?
Speed - Skip the prolonged sign-up and authorization process. SSO does all the verification work so you don’t have to.
Convenience – Users only need to login once with SSO and remember one set of login credentials. Once they’re logged in, they stay logged in.
Safety - In the event of a breach, your organization is less of a target for hackers since you’re not holding multiple login credentials for each user. SSO also reduces your chances of having these credentials stolen.
Time - You’re also not responsible for resetting passwords or managing weak passwords. Since users only need to remember one password, they have the possibility of creating secure, unique passwords.
Control - SSO makes it easier to leverage MFA and 2FA. You can customize your own password policies and use your own MFA and 2FA policies that best suit your organization’s needs.
With SSO, administrators can easily enable and disable user access across multiple platforms since only one set of login credentials are needed.
Out-of-the-Box – The Beauceron Platform lets you use Microsoft Office 365 or Google SSO right out-of-the-box.
Is it Worth the Hype?
The simple answer is YES. SSO is an easy and time efficient way to manage users’ access to multiple systems, platforms and resources. Since users only need to login once to be granted access, your organization can save time with forgotten passwords and security question answers and focus on strengthening the one set of login credentials needed. You also don’t need to worry about storing numerous login credentials and personal data – the identity provider stores all this information so it isn’t a liability for your organization should a breach occur – plus you have the added peace of mind that your organization isn’t a target for cybercriminals looking to exploit this information.