{"id":4541,"date":"2023-09-06T07:05:11","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T07:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/65.109.236.43\/?p=4541"},"modified":"2024-05-30T06:02:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T06:02:02","slug":"why-single-sign-on-is-essential-to-modern-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/appsco.com\/public\/why-single-sign-on-is-essential-to-modern-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Single Sign-On Is Essential to Modern Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Internet services (apps) have become a part of everyday life.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s become so noticeable that users have coined the phrase \u201cThere\u2019s an App for That\u201d to explain the phenomenon jokingly.<\/p>\n

However, nobody laughs when they have to install and register an app for the 100th time.<\/p>\n

With so many accounts to manage, it\u2019s become apparent users don\u2019t like wasting time logging in and out of services to function.<\/p>\n

This is where Single Sign On came in and provided a necessary solution.<\/p>\n<\/div>

What is a Single Sign On (SSO)<\/h4><\/div>

Single Sign On \u2014 or SSO for short \u2014 is a login process that allows users to access multiple apps with one set of credentials.<\/p>\n

In short, one account for all related apps.<\/p>\n

This master account serves as an identity confirmation for services that recognize its authority.<\/p>\n

This leads us to two common ways SSO is set up:<\/p>\n

1) Though a secure personal account<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most, if not all, popular apps (for example, Spotify) require you to register a unique account to use them.<\/p>\n

With the average consumer using around 30 unique apps each month, it\u2019s easy to see why creating new accounts can become annoying.<\/p>\n

So, to remove this step, app creators give you the option to sign in with other accounts from recognized services.<\/p>\n

A direct example is a service allowing you to \u201clog in\u201d (confirm your identity) through a social media account \u2014 such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.<\/p>\n

2) Though an SSO platform<\/strong><\/p>\n

This method is more commonly found \u2014 and getting more popular \u2014 in business areas.<\/p>\n

Regardless of if the end-user is your employee or customer, the goal is minimizing the number of unique accounts they need and passwords to remember.<\/p>\n

The platform works by locking all apps and resources assigned to one user behind a single gateway.<\/p>\n

Once a user logs in, the SSO gateway confirms their identity to data hidden behind it.<\/p>\n

Single Sign On platforms help IT, and HR departments easily manage accounts, distribute access, follow user activity, and more from one interface.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The benefits of using Single Sign On<\/h4><\/div>

The #1 benefit of using SSO is\u00a0time efficiency.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having one account saves users time from multiple logins, which increases their overall productivity.<\/p>\n

This process may seem like a minor inconvenience to small businesses.<\/p>\n

However, larger companies lose millions of minutes (for lack of a better term) this way every year.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but did you know the most common ticket sent to IT departments is password resets\/account locks?<\/p>\n

With that in mind, imagine how much time and money you can save on IT by minimizing the number of lost passwords and unique accounts to manage.<\/p>\n

Some IT providers will argue SSO is risky because it creates a single point of entry.<\/p>\n

However, this is a surface-level way of looking at things.<\/p>\n

When you require employees (or consumers) to log in to multiple accounts all the time, they start looking for shortcuts.<\/p>\n

For example, passwords get shorter and more straightforward for each new account, or, even worse; users start leaving hard copies in their documents.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re an IT admin, you\u2019ve probably noticed these trends.<\/p>\n

Employee behavior research has shown that the fewer accounts they have, the more they pay attention to security measures, such as setting up strong passwords.<\/p>\n

To give a practical example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re playing a defend-the-castle type game.<\/p>\n

If your castle has only a single point of entry, you can set up all defenses there instead of spreading out your resources to multiple gateways.<\/p>\n

To solidify your SSO \u201cgateway,\u201d accompany it with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).<\/p>\n

This creates one of the strongest account security combinations while adding just one extra step.<\/p>\n

Before setting up SSO, it\u2019s important to have a good Identity Management policy in place.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Single Sign-On In Practice<\/h4><\/div>

The most common example of a Single Sign On in everyday life is Google.<\/p>\n

You probably noticed this when you downloaded a new web browser or bought an Android phone.<\/p>\n

Once you log in to one Google service such as YouTube, you don\u2019t need to repeat the same process to access related apps like Gmail.<\/p>\n

Instead, Google uses a centralized account which, once logged in to one service, serves as a confirmation of identity for related apps.<\/p>\n

The same goes for Apple products and iCloud accounts, Microsoft accounts and their software (Outlook, Office 360, OneDrive), etc.<\/p>\n

You can adapt this convenience to your business by using an SSO management platform, such as AppsCo.<\/p>\n<\/div>

AppsCo is The Account Management Tool You Need<\/h4><\/div>

AppsCo is a modern IT and HR master-management tool designed with maximum security and efficiency in mind.<\/p>\n

With it, you can do everything we\u2019ve talked about and more using just ONE app.<\/p>\n

AppsCo can:<\/p>\n