What Are The Benefits Of Single Sign-On (SSO)?

In today’s digital workplace, employees access a growing number of applications daily, each requiring its own authentication. This complexity not only leads to security risks but also reduces productivity. Single Sign-On (SSO) addresses these challenges by providing seamless and secure access to applications linked to a single, secure identity. In this article, we explore the key benefits of SSO and why organisations should consider implementing a robust SSO solution.

Increased Productivity

Managing multiple passwords and logging into various applications throughout the day can slow employees down and disrupt workflows. SSO streamlines access, allowing users to log in once and instantly access all necessary apps, reducing wasted time and improving efficiency.

One-Click Access to Applications

One of the most significant benefits of SSO is one-click access to enterprise applications. Instead of juggling multiple usernames and passwords, employees log in once and gain access to all authorised apps instantly. This streamlines workflows, reduces friction, and enhances user experience.

Zero UI for Seamless Authentication

Zero UI (Zero User Interface) refers to a design approach where user interactions are minimised or entirely eliminated, guaranteeing workforce user adoption of the SSO solution

With a fully automated and integrated SSO solution, employees don’t have to interact with login screens at all. This reduces human error, eliminates distractions, and allows the workforce to focus on their core tasks rather than authentication processes.

Enhanced User Compliance

Employees often bypass security protocols when authentication processes are cumbersome, leading to weaker security practices. With SSO, security policies become effortless to follow, as users only need to remember one strong set of credentials. This ensures compliance with internal security guidelines and industry regulations without adding extra burdens on employees.

Enforcing Strong Password Policies via SSO

For applications that still require passwords, an advanced SSO solution, that can also provide an integrated Enterprise Password Manager (EPM), can enforce password policies. This ensures compliance with security best practices, such as complex passwords, regular rotation, and preventing password reuse. Organisations can maintain a strong security posture without relying on employees to remember or manage complex credentials.

Zero Sign-In to the SSO solution

A well-designed SSO solution should be invisible to the workforce. Employees shouldn’t need to interact with or even be aware of the product. The authentication process happens in the background, enabling seamless access to applications without any additional login steps.

Stronger Auditing Control

Maintaining compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and SOC 2 requires strict governance and control over user access to systems and data. SSO simplifies compliance by centralising authentication logs, making it easier for IT teams to track, monitor, and audit user activity across all applications. 

With detailed access logs and automated reporting, organisations can quickly identify unauthorised access attempts, enforce security policies, and demonstrate compliance to regulators. By reducing the complexity of managing multiple authentication points, SSO strengthens governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) frameworks, helping businesses avoid costly fines and security breaches.

Improved Security

Reusing passwords or storing them insecurely are common security risks in organisations with multiple login requirements. SSO minimises these risks by enforcing strong authentication methods while reducing password fatigue.

SSO with Passwords Hidden

Many SSO solutions leverage SAML or OIDC protocols for authentication, but some applications still require credential-based authentication. A high-quality SSO solution can ensure that passwords remain hidden from users, preventing credential exposure and reducing phishing risks. Employees never see or enter passwords, ensuring a higher level of security.

Zero-Knowledge Encryption for Credential Storage

When storing credentials for SSO authentication, security is paramount. A robust SSO solution employs Zero-Knowledge Encryption, meaning that even the service provider cannot access stored credentials. This approach significantly reduces the risk of breaches and ensures sensitive data remains protected.

Discovering and Integrating ‘Shadow IT’ Applications

Many organisations struggle with Shadow IT, where the worforceuse unauthorised applications without IT approval. An advanced SSO solution can discover apps and learn credentials, making it easier for IT teams to integrate these applications securely into the enterprise ecosystem. This improves visibility, enhances security, and ensures compliance with organisational policies.

Lower IT Costs

Password resets and user access management consume a significant portion of IT resources and budget. SSO reduces helpdesk support requests, streamlines user provisioning, and helps optimise software licenses by tracking active usage. These efficiencies lower operational costs while improving IT department effectiveness.

Streamlined User Account Lifecycle Management

With SSO, IT teams can centrally manage user access across all enterprise applications, eliminating the need to manually configure credentials for each system. This reduces administrative overhead, minimises the risk of human error, and ensures that employees only have access to the resources they need. By automating access controls and integrating with identity management solutions, businesses can significantly cut down the time and effort required for account provisioning and deprovisioning.

Reduced Helpdesk Costs

Passwod-related issues account for a significant portion of IT support requests, with forgotten passwords alone making up the majority of helpdesk tickets. SSO eliminates the need for multiple passwords, reducing the frequency of reset requests and freeing up IT support teams to focus on more critical tasks. This translates into direct cost savings, as fewer password-related incidents mean lower support costs and improved IT efficiency.

Faster Onboarding and Offboarding

Manually setting up new employees with credentials for multiple applications is time-consuming and increases the likelihood of errors or security gaps. With SSO, new hires gain instant access to all necessary systems, improving productivity from day one. Similarly, when an employee leaves, their access can be revoked instantly, reducing the risk of lingering access to sensitive company data and ensuring compliance with security policies.

Reduction in Software License Pool Costs and Subscriptions

Many organisations overspend on software licenses due to inactive or duplicate user accounts that remain unnoticed. SSO provides centralised visibility into application usage, allowing IT teams to track actual  software usage. This insight helps businesses optimise their license pools, ensuring they only pay for the subscriptions they actually need. By identifying and removing unused accounts, companies can cut unnecessary costs, improve software ROI, and prevent wasted spend on redundant licenses.

Improved Employee Satisfaction

Frequent logins, forgotten passwords, and access issues can frustrate employees and impact their productivity. SSO eliminates these pain points, allowing for seamless, frictionless access to applications.

Reduced Frustration with Logins

One of the biggest pain points for employees is dealing with multiple logins and frequent password resets. SSO eliminates this frustration by providing seamless access to all authorised applications with a single authentication. Employees no longer need to remember or reset multiple complex passwords, reducing interruptions to their workflow and allowing them to focus on their tasks without IT-related delays.

Seamless Access Across Devices and Locations

With remote and hybrid work environments becoming the norm, employees need quick and secure access to their applications from multiple devices and locations. SSO ensures a smooth experience, allowing users to log in once and maintain access across desktops, mobile devices, and cloud platforms. This flexibility enhances productivity and prevents the hassle of repeated authentication, especially when switching between devices throughout the workday.

For organisations looking to strengthen their identity and access management strategy, effective SSO is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.