As we observe National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it's a great opportunity to explore innovative strategies for boosting your organisation's security. One of the most powerful methods involves integrating Zero Trust with Single Sign-On (SSO).
Single Sign-On (SSO) makes life easier by letting you access multiple applications with just one set of login credentials. This method simplifies access control by reducing the need for multiple passwords, making it more convenient compared to other methods. On the other hand, Zero Trust means that no user or device is automatically trusted, no matter if they're inside or outside the network.
SSO is also a key component of the zero trust security model, which prefers SSO for authentication. When SSO and zero trust are combined, you get a highly secure system that's both user-friendly and effective in today’s digital world. Let us dive into how using Zero Trust with SSO can significantly enhance your security setup.
Single Sign-On (SSO) Explained
Many of us use SSO daily without even realising it. For instance, when websites, apps, and games allow you to log in using your Google or Facebook credentials, they are employing SSO. This means users can seamlessly log in with the same identity across multiple systems. Essentially, SSO eliminates the need for users to manually enter their credentials repeatedly, as they are authenticated and validated by a central server.
SSO uses tokens linked to user information, credentials, or certificates to facilitate authentication. By leveraging trusted sites like Facebook and Google to verify users, SSO spares businesses from storing passwords in their databases and saves users from the hassle of remembering multiple passwords during their sessions.
SSO systems function similarly to an identity provider, akin to showing an ID or driver’s licence when stopped by the police. In this analogy, the police do not personally verify your identity but rely on a trusted database for verification. Likewise, SSO allows certain trusted providers to serve as the official identity database, with other sites trusting these providers to confirm your identity.
To learn more about True SSO, read our full article where we explain everything you need to know about SSO in detail.
Zero Trust Explained
Zero Trust is a security model designed to ensure secure connectivity by eliminating transitive trust. It continuously identifies and authenticates all devices, users, and identities before granting access. The guiding principle is “never trust, always verify,” making it a highly trusted and secure method for safeguarding access and data. Unlike traditional network-based security models, Zero Trust prioritises identity-based parameters.
The core principles of Zero Trust are:
- No Implicit Trust: Users and devices are only trusted after verification, regardless of their location.
- Continuous Verification: Ongoing verification and authentication are required before granting access.
- Identity-Centric Security: Traditional perimeter security is weak as it allows open access within the network, including to attackers. Zero Trust ensures each user's identity is verified.
- Focus on Assets: Zero Trust prioritises protecting assets over networks.
- Streamlined Security: Zero Trust simplifies security measures, making them more effective.
- Comprehensive Monitoring: Zero Trust enables security teams to continuously monitor and control user activities from any location, maintaining constant security oversight.
By adopting these principles, organisations can significantly enhance their security infrastructure, ensuring that access and data remain protected at all times.
The Power Duo: SSO and Zero Trust
The Zero Trust model integrates Single Sign-On (SSO) as a key authentication method. Users must authenticate via SSO before gaining access to valuable assets and applications. Each time a user attempts to access an application, a token is transparently utilised to validate their identity. With passwordless SSO, passwords are never used for login, enhancing security.
In a Zero Trust system, connectivity is granted based solely on verified identity, ensuring a secure and reliable method of authentication. SSO also focuses on identity verification, which aligns perfectly with the principles of Zero Trust. This synergy between SSO and Zero Trust makes them a powerful combination for robust security.
Key Benefits
The integration of Zero Trust and SSO has allowed organisations to address critical aspects. Here are several key benefits from adopting Zero Trust and SSO solutions:
- Improved Identity Management -
The integration of Zero Trust and SSO significantly enhanced identity management processes. By using a single set of credentials for multiple applications and implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), these companies were able to streamline user access while maintaining high security standards.
- Reduced Attack Surface
By implementing Zero Trust principles, the insurers were able to minimise their attack surface. This approach restricted access to sensitive information and applications to only those users who truly needed it, thereby reducing potential entry points for attackers.
- Faster Threat Detection
Continuous monitoring and centralised visibility enabled these companies to detect and respond to threats more quickly. By constantly verifying user identities and monitoring user and entity behaviours, they were able to identify anomalies and potential security incidents in real-time.
- Enhanced Regulatory Compliance
Adopting Zero Trust and SSO helped these insurers meet stringent regulatory requirements. The robust identity verification and access controls provided by these solutions ensured that sensitive customer data was protected, helping the companies to comply with data protection regulations and avoid potential fines.
Real-Life Case Studies of Zero Trust and SSO in Global Life Insurance Companies
Here are five real-life case studies of global life insurance companies implementing Zero Trust and Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions:
1. Ping An Insurance Group
Ping An Insurance Group, the second-largest insurance company in the world, implemented Zero Trust solutions to secure access to sensitive customer data and applications across their global operations. Key elements of their strategy included robust identity management, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and continuous monitoring to ensure security.
2. AXA Group
AXA Group, one of the top five largest insurance companies, leveraged Zero Trust to enable secure remote access for their workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. They integrated identity management, implemented MFA, and gained centralised visibility to detect and respond to threats more rapidly.
3. China Life Insurance
China Life Insurance, a top five global life insurer, adopted a Zero Trust architecture to protect the increasing amounts of customer data they handle. This approach required multiple verification methods to access sensitive information and restricted access to only those who genuinely needed it.
4. Prudential Financial
Prudential Financial, one of the top three insurance companies by net non-banking assets, implemented Zero Trust solutions to secure their cloud-based applications and data. They integrated these solutions with existing identity systems, enforced least-privilege access policies, and continuously monitored user and entity behaviour to detect anomalies.
Key Takeaways
Many businesses engage experienced technology and security providers to implement these protocols effectively. Conscious Networks is one such provider, offering a "conscious approach to technology" and a comprehensive range of services to help businesses grow and thrive with enhanced technology. To discover how you can fully leverage the benefits of SSO and Zero Trust, contact us today!
