SSO is an authentication method that enables users to securely authenticate with multiple websites with a singe set of credentials. This document provides a high level overview of what Single Sign On is and how to get started with the set up in Bridge.
What is authentication?
Bridge keeps your system information secure by requiring credentials for log in, but also allows you to control access to specific users. This is done through a process generally called "authentication".
Currently, Bridge allows for three means of authentication:
- Bridge Basic (comes default with every account)
- Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML, pronounced "SAM-el", rhyming with "camel")
- Central Authentication Service (CAS, pronounced, "CAZ" rhyming with chaz? spaz? I dunno, there aren't great words that rhyme.)
Clients would opt for SAML or CAS over Bridge Basic for a couple of reasons:
- Single Sign On (SSO)
- User provisioning
Single Sign On (SSO)
A company with a number of web services will often think about configuring a Single Sign On solution to authenticate to these web assets since SSO will allow users to sign in to an entire environment by having a user submit a name and password once.
The easiest to understand and most widespread example of this is Google. When a user signs into Gmail, for instance, they are also signed into Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Finance and other Google tools with a single user name and password input.
Like Google, the use of SSO allows users to pass through multiple web services quickly and easily. For instance, a user could log into a CRM, then navigate to an HRIS and then to a web-based email, all configured with SAML. SSO also allows a company to enhance security by leveraging features common to SSO solutions like mandating passwords to be changed every 60 days.
User Provisioning
Bridge also allows users to be created through a process called provisioning, commonly referred to "just in time provisioning" and "auto provisioning". An authentication solution (SAML, LDAP or CAS), can create a user based on what a company chooses to pass as an alias to Bridge. Meaning, when a user logs in via an authentication protocol, the protocol will tell Bridge which user is logging in by passing a unique identifier or alias. If user provisioning is on and a user has not yet been created in the system for the unique identifier that is passed, Bridge will create a new user account and log the user in immediately. It is important to note, however, that only the alias will appear in the user's profile. All data not included in the list below will have to be uploaded later through manual CSV or Auto CSV.
With user provisioning over SSO, we are able to pull the following attributes:
- first name
- last name
- full name
- UID (NameID)
So what do I need?
Bridge is secure and will work great without any authentication services configured with it. If a company would like to configure an authentication solution with Bridge, they first need to acquire an authentication solution. There are many that are geared to be more "out-of-box" and provide standard features with easy set up while some provide a lot of levers that a company can use to control experience and security.
Bridge doesn't have recommendations for any authentication service over another, a simple search of SAML or CAS providers will provide you a number of companies that are eager to help you set up. The more adventurous may have technical knowledge in-house on standing up their own SAML or CAS servers. For additional information however, check out the Additional Reading for articles with more depth on SAML and CAS.