Long gone are the days when your email password was the only code you had to remember. Now, nearly every click you make leads to a login screen. With so many secure apps and programs a part of everyday business, you’ve got two options: remember a telephone book’s worth of passwords, or explore single sign-on authentication.
Single sign-on (SSO) is a rapidly growing aspect of security IT designed to relieve you of the burden of multiple passwords. An SSO provider allows you to log in to multiple apps with one set of user credentials. At first glance, that looks like a violation of rule number one when it comes to online security: never use the same password across different sites. However, the SSO provider adds an added layer of protection. The SSO handles all the different passwords for your various apps, while you manually log into the SSO on top of that. You register each password-protected site with the SSO once – giving it the power to log you in with a master password every time you access the site. The added layer of protection comes from the authentication service the SSO provides. The SSO texts, calls, or emails you a code to authenticate the master password with every new site you add and regularly makes you authenticate the master password rather than update it.
Both startups and established platforms are getting in on the SSO game. Okta, OneLogin, and Centrify are generating a lot of buzz for their rapidly expanding features. Microsoft, Google, and SalesForce have also rolled out SSO options. Say goodbye to that Rolodex of passwords and get ready for the one-password future.
By Prasana William
Image Source: WRD Systems