Securing Every App with LastPass and Okta

Okta is one of the world’s leading single-sign solutions, but SMBs can further enhance its convenience with a clever integration.

Okta removes the friction of multiple credential submissions, allowing seamless access across multiple cloud apps. This creates a fantastic workflow experience, but it could get interrupted.

Unfortunately, many web apps are incompatible with SSO, and sometimes employees sign up for online solutions without notifying IT.

When this happens, Okta is completely detached from a user’s workflow. During such moments of discontinuity, poor security practices – like weak password choices and unencrypted password sharing – are most likely to occur.

Addressing this problem by replacing Okta with another SSO solution isn’t just an arduous effort; it’s unnecessary. There isn’t a single SSO solution that guarantees communication with all websites.

But an elegant solution to this problem does exist.

You can address the gaps created when web applications are incompatible with SSO with LastPass.

LastPass provides a password manager that creates highly-complex passwords for users when they sign up to new solutions and securely fills in credentials when SSO capabilities aren’t available.

Identity management responsibilities are seamlessly passed between Okta and LastPass. When both are used, SMBs can continue leveraging the access convenience of their current Okta subscription without worrying about security or workflow hiccups.

LastPass also addresses the critical security risk of password sharing between employees. Okta is pretty good at preventing users from accessing application passwords. But when a user signs up to a new solution without notifying IT, they’re free to choose weak passwords and share their credentials insecurely.

The LastPass password manager prompts users to request a new complex password whenever a new sign-up is detected. Employees can then securely share each of these credentials with their colleagues in just a few clicks.

I’ve found that people are most likely to adopt insecure practices when more secure alternatives are unavailable. The constant availability of LastPass ensures employees follow best security practices – and the workflow efficiency benefits of the solution will further encourage its use.

The union of LastPass and Okta is the perfect solution to login frustrations and weak sign-up credentials. Every SMB – especially those with a remote workforce – should be enforcing this combination across all endpoints.

How do you prefer to manage employee access across cloud solutions?