Single Sign-On or SSO is all about making passwords secure and simple to remember. No one wants to enter the application passwords again-and-again while starting them. They simply want single signing to all the programs by entering one password only. Therefore, here comes the concept of SSO for cloud users. Now an individual just has to enter into the single portal and then, use several programs seamlessly with one set of credentials. This helps in increases security, reducing the multiple logins prompts, and making it easy to manage passwords.
More About Single Sign-On for Cloud Security
It is a service of time session and user authentication, which permits end users to have only one set of login credentials for accessing multiple applications. The technology authenticates end users with all the programs that they want to operate for their purpose and reduces all the prompts when application switching takes place. Single Sign-On for cloud security is helpful when users want to access several mobile applications at a time.
Some type of SSO services works with the protocols like Kerberos and SAML language. It is an XML language, which activates authentication and authorization feature at the time of exchanging information. SAML-based SSO services comprise of communication between end users, identity provider who is maintaining user directory, and the service provider. There are simple cloud computing solutions with amazing tips. When an individual tries to work with an application from the service provider end, it will be sending a request to identity provider for authentication purpose. When the verification process gets completed with full authentication, the person gets permission to enter in the account. After this, he/she will not have to repeatedly enter the targeted account for accessing multiple associated applications.
Benefits of Using Single Sign-On For Cloud Security
Following points will help readers in learning the advantages of using Single Sign-On for cloud:
- Reduces Password Fatigue: Nowadays individuals are getting subjected towards so many passwords that they suffer from password fatigue. This is caused because of remembering multiple passwords for several applications protection. Therefore, here comes the solution to overcome password fatigue issue by preventing programs from single strong password.
- Increases User Productivity: The enterprise productivity suffers in one or another way when everyday users have to log in to several programs. It will be taking a second to logging in single application but, when it comes to multiple applications logging this consumes a long time. This is the reason why SSO came into existence and now it is possible to enter password one time only for accessing multiple services/programs.
- Rapid Growth in IT Industry: In a large-scale organization, it becomes a headache to manage credentials of employees. Think of a situation where IT admins missed opportunity to accomplish some innovative and productive things just because they were busy in password resets and other security management tasks. In all such cases, you need to know how to prevent cyber attacks. Seriously? Single Sign-On relieves IT administrators from all these problems and allows them to do productive things.
- Utilize Web Apps Conveniently: SSO is capable enough to drive unlimited services through web. Every type of SaaS application, which is added by users is having its own password policy to meet to the cloud data security policy. A pre-integrated service is provided for hundreds of cloud-hosted applications. This is for establishing a secure access and eliminating efforts in managing several usernames with passwords.
Have a Look at SSO Working
There are different implementation techniques for SSO but, there are some factors common to them. Based upon the same, here we come with a common working way of Single Sign-On.
Typically, there are 3 major players in SSO:
- Service Provider: This entity provides service like file transferring, cloud-based word processing, video streaming, etc.
- End User: An individual who need the services to utilize. The ‘end user’ gets connected to a service provider via client program.
- Identity Provider: The server where credential of users is saved. This type of password management server is responsible for user authentication tasks.
Following steps will the simple working of cloud SSO computing:
- The end user connects to the service provider
- The service provider transacts the request for authentication to Identity provider
- The end user gets redirected to Identity provider for the authentication
- Here, the person has to submit login credentials to Identity provider
- Once again the user will be redirected to service provider, which is accompanied by ticket. This helps in confirming the positive authentication and bearing of user information and accessing rights.
- Finally, the user is having permission to access multiple programs for accessing.
Conclusion
In this digital world, Single sign on for cloud security has become a desirable and acceptable thing. It is so because majority of firms have adopted programs that use several cloud services. The most trending and popular example of SSO is G Suite platform. Here, only one-time logging is needed to access associated applications like G Drive, Gmail, G Photos, YouTube, etc.
