Let’s face it – people are terrible at keeping track of passwords. Employees frequently use weak passwords, reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts, and store their passwords insecurely (ah hem, Post-it notes anyone?). According to a Keeper report, many use repeat variations of the same password (34%) or still admit to using simple passwords to secure their online accounts (30%). It’s no wonder 81% of data breaches involve weak or stolen passwords (Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report).
Credential tracking can get ugly for contractors who require access to not only internal systems like work email and HR systems, but external partners like suppliers, clients, and engineers. Thankfully, single sign-on (SSO, Traditional and Federated) allows you to access system(s) with a single set of credentials. We’ll dive into the downfalls of operating without an access management system, why SSO is essential for your data security and scalable operations, and how STACK allows seamless and secure access across organizational boundaries.
You are the Weakest Link: Human-Generated Passwords
Passwords created by people are weak and predictable, and come with high risks. Some of the issues with human-generated passwords include:
- Common Patterns and Limited Complexity: People often choose simple passwords like “123456,” “password,” or personal information like birthdays or names – patterns making it easy for attackers to crack.
- Same Password Across Multiple Accounts: If one account is compromised, all other accounts with the same password are at risk.
- Impact of Breaches: Password reuse amplifies the impact of data breaches and attackers can try it on other platforms, potentially gaining access to multiple systems.
- Poor Storage Practices: Passwords can be stored in insecure ways like saving them in unencrypted files or on paper.
- Inefficient Use of IT: Human-generated passwords can be difficult to remember. This burden typically falls on IT departments leading to temporary access issues, harming productivity, wasting money, and degrading security throughout the organization.
- Phishing Attacks: Human-generated passwords are more vulnerable to social engineering attacks like phishing. Attackers can trick users into revealing their passwords through deceptive emails, websites, or phone calls.
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Traditional SSO allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications within a single organization. Users log in with one set of credentials to access different services provided by the same company. This is suitable for companies where all systems and applications are within the same organization. For instance, employees in a company can access their email, intranet, and HR systems with one login. Benefits include:
- Intra-Organization Access: It works well for organizations that don’t need to provide external access or where all applications and systems are owned and managed by the same entity.
- Simplicity: Traditional SSO is typically easier to implement and manage, as it involves only one organization’s identity management system.
- Security: It enhances security by reducing the number of credentials users need to remember and manage.
Federated SSO is a system that allows users to access multiple systems or applications across different organizations using a single set of credentials. It involves the use of federated identity management, where multiple organizations trust each other to authenticate users. This seamless access enhances collaboration and streamlines project management.
Companies consider several factors based on their needs, security requirements, and the nature of their partnerships. Federated SSO is ideal for businesses that have partnerships or collaborations with other organizations. For example, if a company’s employees need to access third-party services or partner systems regularly, federated SSO allows them to do so with their internal credentials. Benefits include:
- Inter-Organizational Collaboration: Federated SSO allows you to work closely with other organizations (e.g., suppliers, partners, or customers) and provide access to shared resources.
- Scalability: Federated SSO is more scalable in a multi-organization environment, allowing a company to grow its partnerships without the need to manage multiple separate authentication systems.
- User Experience: A consistent, better user experience is provided, allowing employees or partners to access external systems without needing to manage multiple credentials or logins.
- Security: Federated SSO enhances security by centralizing authentication, leveraging the trust relationships established between organizations, and reducing the risk associated with password management across multiple systems.
- Compliance: Some industries require secure, controlled access across organizations (e.g., healthcare, finance), and Federated SSO can help meet these regulatory requirements.
STACK has the capabilities to support your company, whether you require Traditional SSO or Federated SSO. With STACK, you don’t need to worry about employees creating strong, unique passwords for individual apps. Instead, they use one username and one strong password to login to all SSO integrated apps reducing friction and improving workflow.
With STACK’s powerful authentication system, you’ll get:
- Centralized Access Control: With STACK, SSO access controls are managed centrally, allowing your IT teams to enforce consistent security policies across all applications. This centralization helps in monitoring access logs, updating permissions, and responding to security threats more effectively.
- Custom Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Options: STACK gives you the ability to bring Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) from your Identity Provider, or we can enable MFA independent of the IDP configuration if requested.
- Improved Collaboration: Your team will have access to the tools and systems they need, regardless of their department. They can easily share information, collaborate on projects, and contribute to organizational goals.
- Increased Productivity and Time Savings: Traditional SSO reduces the time users spend logging in and out of different applications, leading to increased productivity. Employees can focus more on their work and less on administrative tasks.
- Streamlined Onboarding: New employees can be quickly onboarded with access to all necessary applications through a single set of credentials. This simplifies the process and ensures that new hires can start working more quickly.
- Simplified IT Management and Reduced Help Desk Workload: With fewer passwords to remember, users are less likely to forget their credentials, leading to a decrease in password reset requests. This reduction in support requests can significantly ease the burden on IT help desks.
- Flexible Integration: STACK’s SSO is compatible with a wide range of applications allowing organizations to integrate new tools and platforms as they evolve.
STACK has your back when it comes to authentication management. You can no longer afford human error in your data security. When you need secure access management for your company, SSO offers a seamless experience for users while maintaining high security and compliance standards.
