Password Management - Self Service and Single Sign On

According to a number of recent studies, calls to the help desk for password reset assistance make up 10 to 30% of the total call volume. Further research asserts that the costs associated with each call range from $51 to $147 in labor costs, not to mention loss of productivity while the employee attempts to login, gives up, waits in the help desk queue and, eventually resets the password. One further complication, the average employee is required to maintain 8 unique combination of user ID’s and passwords, usually with varying complexity and expiration rules.

So, how can the typical organization reduce the costs associated with password management and maintain the highest level of security? The answer lies in the Password Management solutions form Tools4ever and includes Self Service Password Reset Manager (SSRPM) and Enterprise –Single Sign On Manager (E-SSOM).

The first application, SSRPM, is an enrollment based application that allows users to register by answering a series of challenge questions – much like they would do for an on-line banking site. Once enrolled, they can reset their own password directly from the Windows login screen by clicking on a “Forgot My Password” link. Alternate methods of service can be found from either a website or via Outlook Web Access integration. To insure high adoption rates, such organizations elect to pre-enroll employees by pulling personal information form the HR system. This software is extremely secure and is in use by organizations ranging from25 to 350,000 employees worldwide.

The second application, E-SSOM, reduces the number of user name password combinations form the average of 8, to exactly one – the AD credentials. By securely capturing and storing a user’s credentials for all applications they are authorized to access, E-SSOM eliminates the need for a user to right passwords on a sticky note or attempt to remember them. E-SSOM can automatically handle password changes at required time intervals and allow user to delegate credentials to a specific app for a period of time – such as a vacation.

When both SSRPM and E-SSOM are used in combination, the number of calls to the help desk drops to nearly zero. The result is a tremendous savings of time, money and an overall increase in security.

For more information on the complete Tools4ever Identity and Access Management suite, please visit our website.