The Importance of a Single Identity in Your Business
Whether it’s email, cloud storage, collaboration tools, or line-of-business applications, users are interacting with multiple systems on a daily basis. For IT teams, managing access to all these systems can be a complex task, especially when each application has its own login credentials. That’s where the importance of having a single identity in your IT environment becomes paramount.
A single identity in IT refers to a unified login system where each user has one account and one password that provides access to multiple applications and services. This is a more streamlined, efficient, and secure way of managing user access compared to systems where users need separate logins for each service.
The Problem with Multiple Logins
At first glance, having separate accounts and logins for different systems might seem harmless. Some companies even view it as a way to compartmentalise access to reduce risk. However, in practice, introducing multiple accounts for the same user across various systems can lead to a host of problems, which can severely impact your organisation’s efficiency and security.
Here are some of the most significant dangers of managing multiple identities for users:
1. Password Fatigue
In a world where employees are expected to use a different password for each system, password fatigue becomes a real issue. Users are likely to struggle with remembering numerous complex passwords, and as a result, they might start to reuse the same password across different systems. This defeats the purpose of security policies requiring strong, unique passwords.
When users resort to using weak passwords, or worse, the same password for everything, it creates an obvious security risk and decrease cybersecurity posture level. If one system is breached, attackers can gain access to others using the same credentials, potentially compromising sensitive information.
2. Increased IT Support Costs
Multiple accounts mean more calls to the IT help desk. Password resets, forgotten credentials, and account lockouts can be significant drains on resources. In fact, password-related issues are one of the most common reasons users contact IT support.
According to some studies, password reset requests can account for 20-50% of IT support workload. Now, multiply that across multiple systems, and the cost in time and resources becomes clear. This takes your IT team away from more valuable tasks, such as innovation and improving your IT infrastructure.
3. Reduced Productivity
Every minute spent logging into different systems or waiting for a password reset is a minute lost in productivity. Users should be able to access the tools they need to do their job as seamlessly as possible, without having to keep track of multiple sets of credentials.
Switching between different systems, logging in and out, and managing various credentials adds friction to the daily workflow. By contrast, a single identity for each user can significantly reduce the time spent on these repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on more critical activities.
4. Fragmented User Identity Management
From an administrative perspective, managing multiple accounts for the same user can lead to fragmentation. It becomes difficult to track multiple dashboards, who has access to what, which systems are being used, and how access should be provisioned or de-provisioned when roles change or employees leave.
Without a unified view of a user’s access, organisations are exposed to potential security risks, such as orphaned accounts that remain active after an employee has left the company. These accounts can become easy targets for malicious actors looking to exploit vulnerabilities.
What Is Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Single Sign-On (SSO) is a solution that allows users to access multiple systems with just one set of credentials. With SSO, users authenticate themselves once and then gain access to all the connected systems without needing to log in again.
For example, if an employee logs into their company’s central identity provider, such as Azure Entra ID, they can access everything from their email and file storage to their collaboration tools without needing to re-enter their password for each service.
SSO simplifies the login process and improves security by minimising the number of passwords users need to manage. But how exactly does it work?
How Does SSO Work?
SSO works by establishing trust between a central identity provider and the applications users need to access. When a user logs into the identity provider, it generates a token—a small piece of encrypted information that proves the user’s identity. This token is then passed to the other applications, allowing them to grant access without needing to ask for a separate login.
Here’s a quick example:
1. Login once: A user logs into their central identity provider (e.g., Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace).
2. Access all systems: The user is automatically authenticated for all connected applications, such as file sharing services, CRM systems, and project management tools, without having to re-enter credentials.
3. Seamless experience: The user enjoys a seamless, frictionless experience across all systems without being repeatedly prompted for passwords.
The key benefit of SSO is that it makes life easier for both users and IT administrators. Users only have to remember one password, which reduces the likelihood of password fatigue, while administrators can manage user access more efficiently through a single point of control, aligned with Zero Trust principles.
One Identity = One MFA
One of the most significant advantages of having a single identity is that you can apply Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to it. MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide more than just a password. This could be something they know (like a PIN), something they have (like a smartphone), or something they are (like a fingerprint).
By using MFA, you can greatly reduce the risk of account compromise, as an attacker would need to gain access to both the user’s password and the second authentication factor.
When you have a single identity, you only need to set up MFA once. With multiple accounts, each one would require its own MFA setup, which can be cumbersome for users and challenging for IT to enforce consistently.
The Role of Passwordless Authentication and Passkeys
In recent years, passwordless authentication has gained traction as a way to improve both security and convenience. Instead of relying on traditional passwords, users can authenticate using methods like biometric scans (fingerprints, facial recognition), physical security keys, or one-time passcodes sent to their devices.
Passkeys are another technology that aims to make passwords a thing of the past. Passkeys replace passwords with cryptographic key pairs, making it nearly impossible for attackers to steal credentials through phishing or brute force attacks.
Both passwordless and passkeys are becoming increasingly available across systems, and when combined with a single identity approach, they can provide a secure and seamless experience for users. Here’s how:
1. No more passwords: Users don’t have to remember passwords, eliminating the risks associated with weak or reused credentials.
2. Stronger security: Passwordless methods, like biometric scans, are much harder to compromise than traditional passwords.
3. Easier management: With a single identity, IT teams can manage passkeys or passwordless authentication centrally, simplifying the administration of user accounts.
Implementing a single identity for users in your IT environment is not just a matter of convenience—it’s a fundamental step towards enhancing security, reducing IT costs, and improving productivity and industry compliance. By reducing the number of passwords users need to manage, you mitigate risks associated with password fatigue, reduce IT support overhead, and streamline the login process for users.
Single Sign-On (SSO) plays a key role in enabling this seamless experience, allowing users to access multiple systems with just one set of credentials. And with modern authentication methods like MFA, passwordless authentication, and passkeys, organisations can further enhance their security posture without compromising on usability.
In a world where cyber threats are constantly evolving, ensuring that your users have a single identity protected by strong authentication methods is critical. It’s not just about making life easier for users—it’s about building a more secure and efficient IT environment that can adapt to the needs of your business and decrease of eliminate technical debt.
By adopting a single identity approach, you’re investing in the long-term security and productivity of your organisation.
