Single Sign-On (SSO)

Glossary

"Single Sign-On (SSO)"

This glossary explains various keywords that will help you understand the mindset necessary for data utilization and successful DX.
This time, we will explain "single sign-on," which is an important point to consider when introducing IT such as cloud computing, and through that, we will think about what we should be aware of when using cloud computing in the future.

What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?

Single sign-on (SSO) is a mechanism that allows users to use IT systems and cloud services that normally require separate logins for each use with just a single user authentication.
As IT utilization increases, a large number of IT systems are being introduced, and especially in recent years, as cloud computing becomes more prevalent, various cloud services have been introduced, which requires users to log in every time they use these systems, making usage cumbersome and user management difficult. This is being used as a means to solve such problems.

The increasing use of IT and cloud computing leads to login issues

The importance of utilizing IT has become widely recognized in recent years, but when introducing and utilizing IT, unexpected problems can arise after implementation. Sometimes, resolving these problems can be the deciding factor between success and failure in IT implementation. The issue of "how to handle logins," which we will discuss next, is one such problem.

For on-site IT users: Work becomes inefficient

Let's imagine how you use IT on a typical day. You arrive at work in the morning and "log in" (or log in remotely) to the PC at your desk. After logging in to your PC, you log in to the attendance management system and clock in. You're curious about whether you've received any emails, so you log in to check; you want to post something to the business chat tool, so you log in; you're curious about the access status of your company's website, so you log in to the access analysis service; you log in to Zoom for a meeting; you log in to the accounting system to submit an expense claim; you log in to Salesforce; you log in to kintone. If you think about it, you may find that you log in many times a day.

Work that makes extensive use of IT tends to involve logging in. And the more IT utilization advances, the more likely this is to happen.

For IT: Management Issues

Some people may be tempted to say that such inconvenience is unavoidable and that people should just put up with the hassle, but this situation can cause problems in addition to causing hassle when using the system.

Imagine you're an IT department managing your company's IT. What happens when a new employee joins the company? You have to set up their PC, set up an account in the attendance management system, issue them an email address, and set up accounts for Slack, Zoom, the accounting system, and kintone. Every time someone is transferred or leaves the company, all of this tedious work becomes necessary.

If you have a large number of accounts, you will likely receive a lot of inquiries about "I forgot my password" or "I can't log in." This also makes it easier for inappropriate passwords to be set or for security issues such as reusing passwords to occur.

Furthermore, if we were to require users to make passwords more difficult or to update them regularly under such circumstances, it would be a huge burden on users and would lead to an increase in inquiries about not being able to log in. If we were asked to check whether passwords are being managed properly under such circumstances, we would have to check all of the many systems to make sure there are no problems with their operation, which would also be a lot of work.

For management: Offensive initiatives become more difficult

Not only IT departments, but businesses can also be adversely affected. When trying to implement new initiatives, IT departments may need to prepare for them. If IT departments are preoccupied with managing IT and are troubled by the numerous on-site services, then whatever they do will take time and be slowed down, slowing down business speed.

For IT providers: Will people use your products?

Let's imagine you are a company that provides IT products or is developing a business using IT. You need to get your customers to install and use your products, but when your customers' IT systems are already full of logins, it's not easy to ask them to install a system that requires additional logins. The login issue is something that sellers have to consider as well.

"Just log in once" system

Single sign-on (SSO) can be used to solve this problem of "too many logins."

Essentially, the confirmation process of "Are you really the user?" only needs to be done once. There is no need to repeatedly verify the identity of users. If you can perform a secure login process just once and use the authentication results to log in to many IT systems and cloud services across the board, the login-related concerns we have discussed so far can be resolved.

Proxy authentication method

SSO is a system in which login information is automatically entered into the system or service to which the user is logging in. The user first logs in to the authentication server. When the user opens the login screen for the service they want to use in that state, the system automatically detects this, checks with the authentication server to see if the user is logged in, and then automatically enters the login information into the login screen to log in the user.

This method can be used for applications other than web apps as well. However, it requires centralized management of information such as IDs and passwords for each system that can currently be correctly logged in, which requires time and effort to manage and synchronize.

Agent Method

This is a mechanism that introduces a module that automatically puts the user in a logged-in state into the web application to which they are logging in. The user first logs in to the authentication server. When the user accesses the web application they want to use in this state, an agent placed on the web application side queries the authentication server to see if the user is already logged in, and if it is confirmed that the user is already logged in, the web application will automatically put the user in a logged-in state.

This eliminates the need for dual management of login information, but requires the installation of a dedicated module in the target web app.

Reverse proxy method

This method replaces login authentication with the ability to access the network area where the target web application is located. The web application is placed in a location that cannot be accessed directly from outside. Users log in from outside to a reverse proxy (a server that relays communications), which acts as an authentication server, and can then access web applications that cannot be accessed directly from outside but can be accessed via the reverse proxy.

If you manage multiple web applications you want to use in the same way using a reverse proxy, you can use them all at once with a single log in. However, because communications associated with using the logged-in system go through the reverse proxy, the load becomes concentrated, and if usage is heavy, you may need to increase processing capacity by introducing a load balancer to distribute the load, which can be costly.

Federation method (SAML authentication method, etc.)

This is a method in which the authentication server passes on the authentication to other services. To be precise, it is a complex system, but to briefly explain it, it works as follows.

The user first logs in to the authentication server, which then prepares data that proves that the user has logged in and is authorized to access. Each service accessed by the user queries the authentication server to see if the user is an authenticated user, instead of asking the user to log in directly. If the service receives data that proves that the user has been authenticated and is authorized to access, it automatically logs the user in.

Although the service you want to log in to must support this method, it is a decentralized and open system, making it suitable for today's environment where various public cloud services are used in combination. It uses open authentication methods such as SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) and OpenID Connect, and by using a SAML authentication server, for example, you can create an environment where you can log in to various services that support SAML login all at once.

Things to note when using SSO

Introducing SSO does not mean that all logins will be completed in one go. Some methods and products are compatible with others. Therefore, when introducing SSO, you need to check whether it is compatible with the IT products and cloud services used by your company before choosing a method or product.

In addition, if the SSO service itself stops, all services may become unavailable. It is necessary to consider what will happen if SSO stops, and if the impact of the stoppage is significant, whether business activities can be maintained even if it becomes temporarily like this, and what the impact on business will be.

It's not just about logging in, it's also about using many services

In the future, the use of a wide variety of IT will continue to increase, and the use of multi-cloud will also become more prevalent. As more IT systems and clouds are used, the importance of SSO will increase.

Along with the login problem that SSO solves, it's also important to keep in mind the need to effectively link data that tends to be fragmented, and the need to effectively link various functions that are distributed across various systems. These are also points to keep in mind when "using many services."

Connecting data

Let's say you extract order data from your order management system in CSV format every week and upload it to your accounting system. If there was an automatic data linking function from the order management system to the accounting system, you could eliminate the need for people to log in and do the work themselves. In this way, the problem can be solved by effectively linking distributed data as needed.

Linking features

For example, let's say you log in to Salesforce every day and also to kintone. If you log in every morning just to check the status, you can avoid logging in at all if there is a system that automatically posts to Slack when there is a new update, and this initiative would make the introduction of Slack even more effective. In this way, linking system functions can sometimes make better use of IT.

SSO solves login issues, and "connecting" technology connects data and systems

These data and system problems are often assumed to be handled manually, and the existence of the problem is often not even noticed. Furthermore, even if it is recognized that the problem can be solved with IT, it may be difficult to do because it requires system development.

Just as SSO effectively solves login problems that at first glance seem impossible to solve on your own, connecting technologies such as EAI, ETL, and iPaaS are the means by which data and systems can be effectively integrated in situations like these.

Without writing any code, you can achieve integrated processing of a wide variety of systems and data simply by placing icons on the GUI and configuring various settings.
By efficiently linking data that is scattered throughout a company or automating data processing, it becomes possible to improve business efficiency and effectively utilize data.
It allows existing systems and clouds to be linked with various external systems and data. This allows existing IT to be utilized at a higher level, and even in new deployments, migration work associated with the implementation and use in combination with existing IT can be carried out smoothly.

There are many reasons why IT utilization does not go well, but if the systems and data that have been introduced are not being utilized effectively because they are disjointed, this can sometimes be resolved by utilizing SSO or other "connecting" technologies.

Related keywords (for further understanding)

EAI
- It is a concept of "connecting" systems by data integration, and is a means of freely connecting various data and systems. It is a concept that has been used since long before the cloud era as a way to effectively utilize IT.
ETL
- In the recent trend of actively working on data utilization, the majority of the work is not the data analysis itself, but rather the collection and preprocessing of data scattered around, from on-premise to cloud. This is a means to carry out such processing efficiently.
iPaaS
- A cloud service that "connects" various clouds with external systems and data simply by operating on a GUI.

Are you interested in "iPaaS" and "connecting" technologies?

Try out our products that allow you to freely connect various data and systems, from on-premise IT systems to cloud services, and make successful use of IT.

The ultimate "connecting" tool: data integration software "DataSpider" and data integration platform "HULFT Square"

"DataSpider," data integration tool developed and sold by our company, is a "connecting" tool with a long history of success. "HULFT Square," a data integration platform, is a "connecting" cloud service developed using DataSpider technology.

Another feature is that development can be done using only the GUI (no code) without writing code like in regular programming, so business staff who have a good understanding of their company's business can take the initiative to use it.

Try outDataSpider/ HULFT Square 's "connecting" technology:

There are many simple collaboration tools on the market, but this tool can be used with just a GUI, is easy enough for even non-programmers to use, and has "high development productivity" and "full-fledged performance that can serve as the foundation for business (professional use)."

It can smoothly solve the problem of "connecting disparate systems and data" that is hindering successful IT utilization. We offer a free trial version and online seminars where you can try it out for free, so we hope you will give it a try.

Free trial seminar here

Why not try a PoC to see if "HULFT Square" can transform your business?

Why not try verifying how "connecting" can be utilized in your business, the feasibility of solving problems using data integration, and the benefits that can be obtained?

I want to automate data integration with SaaS, but I want to confirm the feasibility of doing so.
We want to move forward with data utilization, but we have issues with system integration
I want to consider data integration platform to achieve DX.

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Single Sign-On (SSO)