1. What is it?If you have ever opted to “Log in with Facebook” or “Log in with Google” to access an account that is neither of those two, then you have used SSO! Single Sign-On, otherwise known as SSO, is an authentication service that allows you to access multiple different accounts while only having to log into one. The process of logging in with another account adds great ease as you don’t have to create or remember credentials for yet another website. Which is the beauty of SSO— it combats password fatigue. When an SSO application is implemented, you have the option of logging onto a portal in which you see icons for Gmail, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. All you have to do is click one of those and you’ll automatically login without reentering information, since you have already logged into the portal. 2. The History Behind SSO Forbes reports that SSO was birthed in the late 1980’s as an IAM (Identity and Access Management) system. The goal being to help consolidate login credentials for businesses and government agencies. As the world began to digitize, so began the habit of keeping passwords on post-it notes, forgetting and creating weak passwords, and cyberattacks. SSO sought to solve these issues by creating a better way to keep your information secure, not only within but, across internet applications. 3. Benefits of SSO Single Sign-On has many benefits, both to business and end users. SSO exponentially increases user convenience, transparency, speed, and security while also being shown to lower IT overhead costs. Only having to remember and input one set of credentials helps you get into accounts faster and with more ease. Transparency is also ensured when using a delegated SSO system: much like when you download an app on your phone and give it permission to access data across platforms— you can easily opt out of sharing. Single Sign-On also increases security by enabling complex authentication policies, randomizing passwords, and enabling re-authentication as needed. Further, implementing SSO also has tremendous organizational security benefits: especially in the way of revoking account access and deleting employee accounts after their termination. If you remember, this is the exact vulnerability that led to Colonial Pipeline being compromised earlier this year. 4. The Myth that SSO Can Make You Vulnerable The argument that SSO may lead to more vulnerability is outdated and can be easily counteracted by proper use and implementation. The fear stems from the worry that if someone got ahold of your credentials they would be able to unlock your entire digital persona— putting all of your applications at risk. But, there is a simple fix for this: enabling Multi-Factor Authentication in order to add a layer of security that can not be hacked or compromised (like a fingerprint or token). By combining Single Sign-On with Two-Step or Multi-Factor Authentication you’ve not only maximized convenience and efficiency, but you have now stopped 99.9% of threats to your accounts. 5. You Can Implement SSO With Digital Persona Premium Digital Persona is a software that provides secure access and authentication to users. It is a tool for Multi-Factor Authentication and is widely used and trusted by businesses and government agencies alike. With Digital Persona Premium, you can implement Single Sign-On and reap numerous benefits, ranging from added security to added efficiency. This browser-based SSO Portal gives easy access to SAML-enabled apps. The Password Manager provides Single Sign-On and enforces strong authentication without modifying underlying applications. This feature also has capabilities to securely store, update, and auto-fill passwords. For more information on Digital Persona Premium and implementing Single Sign-On, check out our website at https://www.txsystems.com/digital-persona.
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What is it and why is it important?The average American has 150 online accounts. These accounts all have one thing in common, they require the owner of the account to have a username and password. The process of entering these credentials is called authentication: proving you are who you say you are. Unfortunately, this alone is not secure enough especially when it comes to things like online banking or your business. Usernames can be easily found by hackers— oftentimes it can be as simple as knowing their target’s email address. And let’s be honest: passwords are hard to remember, which often leads to people creating very simple ones and using them across multiple different sites. In fact, in 2016 it was found that 73% of passwords used are duplicates. This is very dangerous and leaves you vulnerable to cyberthreats that are easily preventable.
The solution? Multi-Factor Authentication or MFA technology. By using a secondary form of authentication— what we call a second “factor” you can prevent 99.9% of threats to your business. A secondary factor comes in many different forms, it can be:
Tx Systems specializes in providing you and your business with MFA solutions that are easy to implement and incredibly secure. Safeguarding your employees and your business from cyberthreats is of great importance as hacking attempts become more advanced and prevalent. Multi-Factor Authentication ensures a peace of mind that is second to none. Allow our team of experts to find the solution that fits your needs and safeguard your business today. Check out our website for a full picture of all the MFA solutions we offer at https://www.txsystems.com/multi-factor-authentication. The Colonial Pipeline attack on May 7, 2021, was a devastating display of weak cybersecurity, illuminating a pressing need for Multi-Factor Authentication. Multi-Factor Authentication is one of Tx Systems specialties, and implementing one of the many MFA solutions could have saved Colonial Pipeline from the crippling ransomware attack they suffered. MFA solutions combine login credentials with a secondary factor, such as a biometric scan, or other physical access device like a smart card, reader, or token. In the case of the Colonial Pipeline Attack, the lack of MFA is entirely to blame for the ransom and the chaos that spurred from it. Hackers gained access to Colonial Pipelines network on April 29, 2021. They were able to do this by obtaining a compromised username and password. The password was used to access the network’s servers remotely, through FireEye, but the account was not guarded by the extra layer of MFA security. Past the point of obtaining the credentials, hackers faced no further barriers to entry. It has since been discovered that the password was part of a batch of leaked credentials found on the Dark Web. This means it was likely the Colonial Pipeline employee had used that same password for another account that was compromised. This is unsurprising, as 73% of passwords used online are duplicates.
A little over a week later, on May 7th, it was discovered that hackers had infiltrated the system and placed ransomware within the network. The company was made aware of the breach when an employee discovered a ransom note, demanding $4.4 million dollars worth of cryptocurrency, on a system in the IT network. The pipeline immediately began shut down protocols and an hour later the largest distributor of gasoline for the Southeast and East Coast had ground to a halt. The 5,500 miles of pipeline were shut off for nearly a week, causing a ripple effect of gasoline shortages and panic buying among consumers. Colonial Pipeline gave into the hackers demands and paid a $4.4 million dollar ransom. Luckily, the FBI was able to recover $2.3 million dollars of the paid ransom; but Colonial Pipeline still needlessly took a massive financial hit— both via the ransom and halted operations. This is not an isolated incident, meatpacking giant JBS was hit by a similar attack on May 31st, and paid an $11 million dollar ransom. There are also reports of the New York Subway and Massachusetts ferryboat operations being targeted as well. In fact, the Wall Street Journal has reported that ransomware attacks have tripled in the past year, according to FBI and private sector reports. These attacks do not need to devastate your or anyone’s business. Multi-Factor Authentication has been shown to stop 99.9% of threats to companies large and small. The Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and countless other ransomware attacks could have been easily prevented if they had implemented stronger security measures via Multi-Factor Authentication. At Tx Systems, Multi-Factor Authentication is something we specialize in. Our team of experts are dedicated to making sure nothing like this ever happens to your large or small business. Ransomware attacks are devastating and as we have seen, they are increasing at an almost insurmountable rate. Implementing MFA is the only way to ensure protection from attacks and give you the peace of mind that your data is safe. For more information on the MFA solutions we offer, check out our website at https://www.txsystems.com/multi-factor-authentication. |