SSO Single Sign On

In addition to being much simpler and more convenient for users, SSO is widely considered to be more secure. This may seem counterintuitive: how can signing in once with one password, instead of multiple times with multiple passwords, be more secure? Proponents of SSO cite the following reasons:

1. Stronger passwords: Since users only have to use one password, SSO makes it easier for them to create, remember, and use stronger passwords.* In practice, this is typically the case: most users do use stronger passwords with SSO.
2. No repeated passwords: When users have to remember passwords for several different apps and services, a condition is known as “password fatigue” is likely to set in: users will re-use passwords across services. Using the same password across several services is a huge security risk because it means that all services are only as secure as the service with the weakest password protection: if that service’s password database is compromised, attackers can use the password to hack all of the user’s other services as well. SSO eliminates this scenario by reducing all logins down to one login.
3. Better password policy enforcement: With one place for password entry, SSO provides a way for IT teams to easily enforce password security rules. For example, some companies require users to reset their passwords periodically. With SSO, password resets are easier to implement: instead of constant password resets across a number of different apps and services, users only have one password to reset. (While the value of regular password resets has been called into question, some IT teams still consider them an important part of their security strategy.)
4. Multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, refers to the use of more than one identity factor to authenticate a user. For example, in addition to entering a username and password, a user might have to connect a USB device or enter a code that appears on their smartphone. Possession of this physical object is a second “factor” that establishes the user is who they say they are. MFA is much more secure than relying on a password alone. SSO makes it possible to activate MFA at a single point instead of having to activate it for three, four, or several dozen apps, which may not be feasible.
5. Single point for enforcing password re-entry: Administrators can enforce re-entering credentials after a certain amount of time to make sure that the same user is still active on the signed-in device. With SSO, they have a central place from which to do this for all internal apps, instead of having to enforce it across multiple different apps, which some apps may not support.
6. Internal credential management instead of external storage: Usually, user passwords are stored remotely in an unmanaged fashion by applications and services that may or may not follow best security practices. With SSO, however, they are stored internally in an environment that an IT team has more control over.
7. Less time wasted on password recovery: In addition to the above security benefits, SSO also cuts down on wasted time for internal teams. IT has to spend less time on helping users recover or reset their passwords for dozens of apps, and users spend less time signing into various apps to perform their jobs. This has the potential to increase business productivity.

How does an SSO login work?

Whenever a user signs in to an SSO service, the service creates an authentication token that remembers that the user is verified. An authentication token is a piece of digital information stored either in the user’s browser or within the SSO service’s servers, like a temporary ID card issued to the user. Any app the user accesses will check with the SSO service. The SSO service passes the user’s authentication token to the app and the user is allowed in. If, however, the user has not yet signed in, they will be prompted to do so through the SSO service.
An SSO service does not necessarily remember who a user is since it does not store user identities. Most SSO services work by checking user credentials against a separate identity management service.

How do SSO authentication tokens work?

The ability to pass an authentication token to external apps and services is crucial in the SSO process. This is what enables identity verification to take place separately from other cloud services, making SSO possible.
Think of an exclusive event that only a few people are allowed into. One way to indicate that the guards at the entrance to the event have checked and approved a guest is to stamp each guest’s hand. Event staff can check the stamps of every guest to make sure they are allowed to be there. However, not just any stamp will do; event staff will know the exact shape and color of the stamp used by the guards at the entrance.

How does SSO fit into an access management strategy?

SSO is only one aspect of managing user access. It must be combined with access control, permission control, activity logs, and other measures for tracking and controlling user behavior within an organization’s internal systems. SSO is a crucial element of access management, however. If a system does not know who a user is, there is no way to allow or restrict that user’s actions.
You can download the SSO Single Sign On PDF by clicking on the link given below.