Single sign-on lets users authenticate once and access many applications without entering credentials again.

How it works

Applications trust a central identity provider, such as Microsoft Entra ID, Google, or Okta. When a user signs in there, they receive access to connected apps through standard protocols like SAML and OpenID Connect.

Benefits

– Fewer passwords, so fewer password resets

– Stronger security: MFA and policies apply in one place

– Fast onboarding and offboarding: create or disable one account and access follows

– Better visibility: central logs of who accessed what

– Improved user experience

Costs and trade-offs

– Some applications charge extra for SSO features (the so-called “SSO tax”)

– Setup and testing time for each application

– The identity provider becomes critical, so protect it well and ensure availability

– Legacy apps may not support modern standards

Planning your rollout

1. List your applications and check SSO support

2. Prioritize the most-used and most sensitive apps

3. Choose your identity provider. Many Microsoft 365 customers already have Entra ID.

4. Enforce MFA at the identity provider

5. Pilot, then roll out in stages

6. Document procedures for adding and removing apps

Good practices

– Protect administrator accounts with phishing-resistant MFA

– Maintain break-glass accounts

– Review access regularly

– Keep a fallback for critical apps

DBR Soft can set up SSO across your key applications. Contact us for more information.