Are breaches inevitable? Not at all! Especially with the right systems in place.
The fact is that weak passwords cause compliance issues and data breaches.
Which is why SSO, if deployed correctly, is your first line of defense. Access control needs to be granular but simple to use, and here’s how SSO in cybersecurity helps with that…
What is SSO in Cybersecurity?
Single Sign-on (SSO) in cybersecurity helps individuals access several apps using a single set of login credentials. Employees or users just need to authenticate once to access many linked services, saving them the trouble of remembering multiple passwords.
SSO is popular across multiple industries, this goes especially in cloud environments where companies depend on several SaaS apps. Businesses like Google and Microsoft have added SSO into their ecosystems to improve access while keeping security measures.
In along to preventing frequent security lapses brought on by human error and weak passwords, it also simplifies credential administration.
The Rise of SSO in the Digital Era
Cloud usage, remote work, and an increase in cyberattacks have made password security a top priority. Using SSO in cybersecurity has become a lot more common as businesses look for a way to secure user access without adding complexity.
By lowering the number of login points, SSO helps close security gaps, improves authentication management, and makes sure that only verified employees can reach important applications.
The Key Cybersecurity Risks SSO Helps Stop
SSO helps deal with a wide range of cybersecurity risks that are fundamental, related to unauthorized access and data interception, two aspects that SSO removes using passwordless authentication. But here are the main risks SSO solves in cybersecurity:
1. Password Fatigue and Weak Passwords
A 2023 Verizon report found that over 80% of breaches stem from leaked passwords. Employees often reuse or choose weak passwords, creating entry points for attackers.
- SSO lowers this risk by lowering the number of passwords people need to manage, promoting stronger authentication methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
- By requiring just one strong password—ideally combined with multi-factor authentication (MFA)— companies have lower security risks.
2. Phishing and Credential Theft
Cybercriminals frequently use phishing emails to steal login credentials. With traditional authentication, a single leaked password can lead to widespread access.
SSO in cybersecurity limits this risk by putting authentication control in one place, making it easier to add security policies and detect anomalies
- Phishing attacks trick people into revealing their login details, leading to data breaches and unauthorized access.
- With SSO, people authenticate fewer times, lowering opportunities for attackers to steal credentials.
- When combined with MFA, SSO makes phishing attempts less likely to work, as attackers need more than just a password to gain access.
3. Unauthorized Access and Insider Threats
Without SSO, employees often use unapproved applications, creating security blind spots. A 2022 Gartner report noted that 40% of IT spending in enterprises occurs outside of IT’s visibility.
- Unauthorized users—whether external attackers or malicious insiders—pose a major security risk. SSO limits access to verified users, ensuring only authorized employees can reach sensitive systems.
- By using SSO with access controls, companies can add policies, track user activity, and lower the chances of insider threats. Using SSO in cybersecurity also simplifies offboarding, ensuring that former employees lose access immediately.
How SSO Improves Cybersecurity Posture
Improving security is the major objective for any company looking into access management. Using SSO in cybersecurity adds convenience, but more importantly, systems that help improve your access control and visibility - here are some of the ways it does this:
1. Multi-Factor Authentication
SSO in cybersecurity is best when paired with MFA. By requiring an extra verification step, MFA stops unwanted access even in the event that a hacker gets their hands on login credentials.
- By allowing passwordless authentication methods like biometrics or security keys, MFA lowers the necessity for passwords.
- MFA also improves security for API access by requiring MFA for backend services and third-party tools.
2. Better Access Controls
By using SSO with MFA, businesses add an extra layer of security beyond passwords. For example, Microsoft Azure AD (Now Microsoft Entra ID) adds conditional access policies, requiring additional verification when accessing sensitive data.
- Allows attribute-based access control (ABAC) or role-based access control (RBAC) to make sure users only access necessary resources.
- Supports dynamic risk-based policies, blocking or challenging logins from unusual locations or devices.
- Lowers lateral movement in cyberattacks by limiting session persistence across multiple applications.
3. User Management and Monitoring on One Platform
Managing user logins across multiple applications is complex and prone to errors. Using SSO in cybersecurity centralizes control, allowing IT teams to monitor login activity, enforce security policies, and quickly respond to threats.
- This creates a unified audit trail for compliance and forensic analysis.
- Allows automated deprovisioning of user access across all connected applications when employees leave.
4. Better Security With Single Access Point
Instead of managing multiple login portals, people log in through a single, secure access point. This simplifies security while lowering the number of vulnerable login pages that attackers can target.
- Lowers attack surface by lowering the number of login endpoints susceptible to phishing.
- Simplifies adding security policies like session timeout and device trust.
- Facilitates the use of security tools like SIEMs to correlate authentication data with other threat signals.
4. Improved User Experience and Compliance
A login process lowers the number of issues for employees while making sure there is compliance with frameworks like GDPR and SOC 2.
Enterprises using SSO in their cybersecurity tend to report fewer IT support tickets related to password resets, cutting operational costs.
- Lowers overall login fatigue for developers and employees, increasing productivity.
- Automates compliance reporting by consolidating authentication logs across applications.
Best Practices for Using SSO in Cybersecurity
Making sure that SSO best practices are followed to reduce the chances of breaches and make sure that there are no gaps is what actually makes the difference. SSO for some may seem like a quick but not completely secure solution, but best practices help solve this.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): For more secure logins, combine SSO with MFA. Businesses that used MFA with SSO had a 60% drop in identity-related breaches, based on a 2023 Forrester report.
- Use a Zero Trust Strategy: Never assume present trust; instead, use a zero trust approach. Limit permissions for users to those that are absolutely essential and set up role-based access controls (RBAC). A good example of this would be Google's BeyondCorp strategy, which guarantees constant verification even after logging in.
- Choosing the Right SSO Provider: Security standards compliance, encryption, and MFA support are all essential components of a strong SSO system. These solutions should be reviewed by businesses based on their safeguards and tool compatibility.
- Regularly Reviewing and Updating SSO Security Policies: Threats evolve, and security policies must keep up. Companies should routinely review and update authentication settings, making sure that SSO configurations remain secure.
- Combining SSO with Other Security Layers: SSO Should be part of a broader security strategy that includes Identity and Access Management, endpoint security, and threat detection. No single tool is enough—layered security allows the best protection.
Real-World Impact: How Does SSO Remove Risks in Companies?
Yubico discovered that the average user changes their passwords 10.9 times year. For a business with 15,000 users, this results in an annual productivity loss of $5.2 million based on an average hourly cost of $32.
- Single Sign-On (SSO) in cybersecurity has become an essential component of modern strategy because it gives a winning blend of improved safety and improved user experience.
- By letting users to access many apps and services with a single set of login credentials, SSO lowers the risks related to conventional password management methods.
The capacity of SSO in Cybersecurity to lessen the widespread issue of password fatigue and the issues it causes among the strongest justifications for its implementation.
Poor password security leads to users being weighed down by the need to remember multiple complicated passwords. This can show itself in several ways, all of which raise security risks:
- Password Reuse: Reusing the same password across multiple accounts is a common solution for people who fail to remember multiple different passwords. Yet, this also suggests that all accounts that use the same password are at risk if one of these accounts is hacked.
- Weak Passwords: People often pick weak or easily guessed passwords to make recalling easier, which leaves them open to hacking and brute-force attacks.
- Password Mismanagement: People often write down their passwords, give them to coworkers, or save them in unprotected digital files, all of which leave these credentials open to unwanted access.
While the Yubico report focused on end-users, the time investment extends beyond just them.
The Future of SSO in Cybersecurity
The reality is that SSO is evolving alongside cybersecurity threats. This means AI-driven authentication, biometric logins, and adaptive access controls must be used to improve SSO’s role in securing digital identities.
SSO is constantly evolving to address new cybersecurity threats. And to deal with this, the future of SSO in cybersecurity is likely to involve aspects like:
- AI-driven authentication: Artificial intelligence can be used to analyze user behavior and situational factors to improve login workflows and spot irregularities.
- Biometric logins: Biometric authentication methods, like face recognition and fingerprint scanning, can be easier to use and secure than standard passwords.
- Adaptive access controls: Based on the user's risk profile, device, location, and other relevant data, adaptive access control systems can modify access privileges.
The essential nature of SSO will be strengthened even more by these developments.
Why Use Infisign to Add SSO to Your Tech Stack
Using SSO in Cybersecurity has become a mainstream tactic, not only a convenience. And using Infisign’s SSO, you reduce password fatigue, prevent phishing attempts, and tighten access restrictions.
- Unlimited Directory Sync: With directory-sync can link all your different software tools and systems without limits. Infisign keeps them all synchronized, so adding new tools or updating your login system is simple.
- No Code Universal SSO: Log in to all your work apps at once, without needing to write any code. It's designed for people who don't want to deal with complex tech stuff.
- Passwordless Authentication: Infisign makes your accounts safer by letting you log in without traditional passwords. It uses things like one-time codes, special links, phone or computer security keys, and fingerprint or face scans.
- Adaptive MFA: Infisign changes the required MFA template based on circumstances like device, IP address, and location for risk-based authentication.
- Biometrics + Device Passkeys: Unlike other services that charge extra for fingerprint and device security key logins, Infisign includes them at no extra cost.
- Network Access Gateway: Need to grant access to on-premises applications based on directories stored on your cloud? Well, Infisign lets you access your company's older, on-site applications through the cloud, even if they weren't originally designed for it.
- Over 6000+ App Integrations: Infisign integrates with a wide range of apps, so you can set it up quickly and often in under four hours.
Want to know how this works in real time? Reach out for a free demo!
