SSO (Single Sign On)

[Melissa Guenther <mguenther () COX NET>]

We are researching the benefits to achieving consistent, simple, and secure access, and protecting an enterprise 
commitment and investment to applications, through SSO solutions.  

Single Sign-On was once thought of as a security-decreasing product. Today's SSO can actually increase security with 
the appropriate implementation, countering weak, transferable passwords, with user-transparent, consistent, and strong 
logon principles.

We are chartered with ensuring that application access is quick, easy and consistent.  This objective continues to be a 
moving target. Not only are the numbers of applications and platforms (Windows, Novell, web, etc.) increasing, the user 
populations are getting larger, and more distributed. While most IT departments have long known that there are 
substantial support ramifications for supporting multiple applications natively, "logging on" has now become one of the 
greatest challenges to user satisfaction and effectiveness.  

I would appreciate any lessons learned from anyone that has explored or implemented Single Sign On, in any part.  
Security and privacy are our biggest considerations at this point.

I also would be happy to share findings.  Although my email is not an edu extension, I am working with a large, 
decentralized university in Arizona.

Thank you in advance for any information

Melissa Guenther
Increasing Awareness to Improve Security
480-786-6034


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