Implementing SSO with miniOrange and How It Enabled Cost-Effective Automation of Access Control

Yarek Rotar, Stanislav Shcherbakov

Aug 30, 2024 • 8 min read

In today's business environment, where the number of work tools increases along with the number of employees, maintaining security and ease of access to systems becomes a real challenge. One of the most effective solutions for optimizing this process is Single Sign-On (SSO) systems. They allow users to securely and quickly access all necessary services from a single place. That's why our team chose SSO from miniOrange, a budget-friendly solution that perfectly fits the needs of our company.

Challenges and Solutions During the Initial Stage of SSO Implementation

As the number of employees grew, there was a need for a more efficient system for recruitment and onboarding. Managing access through Google Sheets was becoming increasingly inefficient and prone to errors due to human factors, leading to issues with removing access for former employees.

Recognizing these problems, we focused on finding an SSO solution that could hide logins and passwords from users while providing convenient access to necessary services. After several months of searching and communicating with SSO developers, we found that many required the use of keys available only within expensive enterprise plans. These plans significantly increased the cost of maintaining the system, especially as the number of users grew.

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The main goal of SSO is to allow users to log into various services using a single ID without repeated authentication. Well-known solutions in this field include AWS Single Sign-On, Azure Active Directory, and Oracle Enterprise SSO.

Why Did We Choose miniOrange?

After months of searching and exploring different options, we chose miniOrange. This solution stood out for its ease of setup and use, which was a key factor for us. Most other SSO solutions, such as AWS Single Sign-On, Azure Active Directory, or Oracle Enterprise SSO, are focused on large corporations with complex and expensive plans that didn't fit our scale. The alternative was the insecure administration of a database of passwords and logins in Google Sheets, followed by distributing these access details to users, which in itself posed numerous problems.

*Access to Logins and Passwords for Company Services via Google Sheets*

MiniOrange offers access to a wide range of integrations with over 5,000 web applications, including popular platforms like Atlassian, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. This provides us with the ability to use a single centralized solution for managing access.

Which Specific Advantages of miniOrange SSO Influenced Our Choice

The SSO solution from miniOrange met all our needs, providing security, convenience, and cost optimization. Their system allows each user to access the necessary services under a single account, simplifying administration and reducing overall costs.

*How Login to a Third-Party Service Works Through the miniOrange SSO System*

Here are the advantages of choosing the SSO solution from miniOrange, using key security and authentication terms:

Single Sign-On (SSO): Provides users with the ability to log in to all necessary web applications from one place, significantly simplifying the authentication process.

Data Security (Authentication and Authorization): miniOrange uses advanced authentication and authorization methods to ensure the security of user data.

Centralized Access Management: Allows administrators to manage user accounts and access rights from a central control panel, reducing the risks of misuse and errors.

Support for Standards (SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect): Supports a wide range of protocols and standards, such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), OAuth, and OpenID Connect, ensuring high compatibility with other systems.

Integrations with Numerous Platforms: Provides integrations with over 5,000 web applications, including popular content management and e-commerce systems like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento.

24/7 Technical Support: Ensures prompt resolution of any issues encountered by users or administrators, increasing system reliability.

Cost Efficiency: Despite its high functionality, the miniOrange solution remains affordable for small and medium-sized teams, allowing for cost optimization of security infrastructure.

These advantages make miniOrange SSO the optimal choice for organizations seeking an effective, secure, and budget-friendly solution for managing access to corporate resources.

Configuring the miniOrange SSO System to Meet Corporate Needs

In the initial phase, it was necessary to create a detailed list of company roles and determine specific access rights for each one. Each role needed to be assigned the appropriate logins and passwords to access the necessary services, which required manual work and was sometimes a complex process—but this is an essential part of the preparatory stage when deploying any SSO system.

Thanks to clear documentation from miniOrange and their technical support, our team was able to configure the system without any issues at each stage. Productive collaboration with miniOrange allowed us to implement custom solutions that perfectly matched our needs.

*Setting Up Groups in the miniOrange SSO System*

*The user list view in the miniOrange SSO system with company positions*

*Example of an access list in the miniOrange SSO system for the SMM position*

Important custom settings implemented during the collaboration include:

Authentication with Personal Gmail Account

Since authentication with a Gmail account was only available to Google Workspace users and email accounts with the company's domain name, with the help of miniOrange, we implemented the ability to log in using any personal Gmail account by utilizing our own project on Google Cloud.

Intuitive Access Provisioning Processes

When an employee is granted access, they receive an email invitation where they can independently set up their login and password.

*Access Provision Email in SSO miniOrange*

Creating a Custom Note

The ability to create notes with logins and passwords for users of the SSO system has been implemented, with the option to copy this data with a single click.

These settings have significantly enhanced the system's usability and ensured a high level of corporate data security, allowing our team to effectively manage access to critical resources.

Performance and Efficiency of the miniOrange SSO System in Practical Application

The miniOrange SSO system provides a simple and intuitive interface for users, where they can log in with their password and view a dashboard with direct access to the necessary services. System administrators have full control over the authentication process and can track where and when users log in.

*User View of the miniOrange SSO System*

The onboarding process for new employees has been optimized so that granting or revoking access takes only seconds, contributing to increased security and data confidentiality within the company. One of the useful features is the miniOrange browser extension, which controls the login and logout processes, automatically clears cookies, and prevents unauthorized access to resources, even if the browser has saved the user's credentials.

However, using mobile apps and two-factor authentication (2FA) can create additional challenges.

Authorization in mobile apps via SSO is only possible if the app supports SSO tokens. If a service requires two-factor authentication, the user needs to know who to contact for assistance, as SSO typically enters the login and password and then prompts for a verification code, which is sent to a device the user may not have access to. In such cases, a solution can be found with the help of the SSO administrator and the operations manager.

The implementation of the SSO system immediately brought several positive changes to the workflow.

The process of granting access became significantly faster and easier. Previously, it was necessary to contact the administrator, submit a request, and wait for access.

The onboarding process was reduced by 70%. Previously, it required the involvement of three responsible individuals: a technical specialist, a recruiter, and a finance officer. Now, the entire process is handled by one person, as access provision and onboarding are performed by the recruiter. However, if a new position is created, the administrator needs to be involved because new roles and permissions need to be created and configured for new services.

The level of security has significantly increased. If an employee does not respond after the trial week or during their work, I can easily disable all access and delete their corporate account.

Recruiter's Feedback

To ensure the correct functioning of the SSO system in our company, we decided to implement and test the system in stages across different departments. This allowed us to identify and resolve issues at early stages. The administrative interface of the system includes a reporting section, which provides the ability to view the entire history of user actions, detect errors, and adjust settings.

Purpose and Implementation of the miniOrange SSO System for Companies of Different Sizes

The miniOrange SSO system is invaluable for companies with 10 to 20 employees who are actively concerned with security. The system allows centralized control over service access, significantly reducing risks associated with managing individual logins and passwords.

Setting up SSO requires meticulous work with user groups and maintaining a detailed list of accesses, which can be challenging without knowledge of English due to the need to communicate with miniOrange technical support and understand technical documentation.

Is Scaling Possible?

Scaling the system is not an issue, as the technical capabilities of miniOrange allow easy adaptation to an increasing number of employees. This solution is effective not only for small teams but also for large corporations that need to ensure a high level of security in managing employee data.

As the number of employees in a company grows, potential data security threats increase. SSO helps mitigate these risks by providing centralized access and authentication management, simplifying management processes, and increasing employee productivity.

For administrators, using SSO means reducing the time spent on creating and managing user accounts, while also providing greater control over access to corporate systems.

Speed and Cost of Implementation

The speed of SSO implementation can vary depending on the chosen solution and the complexity of required integrations, but with the miniOrange system, thanks to its user-friendly interface and well-structured documentation, the process can be quite fast. Generally, companies with 50 to 100 employees can expect the system to be implemented within a few weeks.

In terms of costs, miniOrange offers affordable pricing—$1.50 per user regardless of the number of services and logins. For more complex and custom solutions, a support plan is available, with costs ranging from $300 to $700 depending on the complexity of the work.

Conclusion

SSO systems offer companies an efficient way to manage access to various services, ensuring a high level of security and optimizing workflows. Using SSO simplifies authentication procedures, reduces the number of errors associated with password entry, and improves overall productivity by providing quick access to necessary tools. Whether your company is a small team or a large corporation, an SSO system can significantly improve access management and provide reliable protection for corporate data.

Choosing a system like miniOrange, with its ease of setup and affordable pricing, can be a key solution for your company in terms of security and efficient resource utilization.