SSO (Single Sign-on) website authentication is now more important than ever. Almost every website requires authentication to access its services and content. A centralized login system has become a necessary data integration as the number of websites and services grow.
WHAT IS SSO?
SSO (single sign-on) is an authentication solution that allows users to safely log in to numerous apps and websites with just one set of credentials.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
SSO is built on the establishment of a trust relationship between a service and identity provider. This trust relationship is often constructed by the exchange of a certificate between the identity provider and the service provider. The certificate then can be used to sign identity information transmitted from the identity provider to the service provider, ensuring that the service provider receives it from a reliable source. This identification data is stored in the form of tokens, which contain identifying information about the user, like a username or email address.
WHAT IS A TOKEN?
During the SSO procedure, an SSO token is a collection of data or information that is sent from one system to another. The data could be as simple as a user’s email address and information about the system that is sending the token. Tokens must be digitally signed for the token receiver to know they are coming from a reliable source. The certificate for this digital signature is transferred during the initial configuration.
IS IT SECURE?
SSO can improve website security for a variety of reasons. For both users and administrators, a single sign-on solution may make username and password administration easier. Users no longer are forced to remember multiple sets of credentials and may instead focus on remembering a single, more complex password. SSO allows users to gain access to their applications much more quickly.
SSO can also reduce the amount of time the help desk spends serving users who have forgotten their passwords. Administrators can set criteria such as password complexity and multi-factor authentication from a central location. Then, when a user departs the company, administrators can quickly relinquish login access across the board.
There are some drawbacks to SSO. For example, you could have some applications that you’d like to be a little more secure with. As a result, choosing an SSO solution that allows you to require an additional authentication factor before a user logs into an application or that stops users from accessing certain applications unless connected to a secure network is critical.
CONCLUSION
Authentication with a single sign-on is here to stay. Decentralized systems are becoming more widespread, and authentication is a critical component of them all. SSO tackles a significant issue: how to manage an ever-increasing number of users across an entire ecosystem of apps and services.
At New Target, we have extensive experience creating single sign-ons and are experts at all things integration. We approach every project with web service-oriented architecture, so contact us today!
SSO can also reduce the amount of time the help desk spends serving users who have forgotten their passwords. Administrators can set criteria such as password complexity and multi-factor authentication from a central location. Then, when a user departs the company, administrators can quickly relinquish login access across the board.
There are some drawbacks to SSO. For example, you could have some applications that you’d like to be a little more secure with. As a result, choosing an SSO solution that allows you to require an additional authentication factor before a user logs into an application or that stops users from accessing certain applications unless connected to a secure network is critical.