Apr 11, 2021

How single sign-on instantly enhances remote access security — and why that matters

  • Manage systems and machines
  • When it comes to remote access, the secure way to manage users can be the easy way. Single sign-on offers improved security while increasing usability.

    As companies grow, the remote access solutions that worked for them as small and midsize organizations can no longer meet the needs of an emerging enterprise, particularly in security. And, of course, the larger the business grows, the more of a headache user management becomes.

    With TeamViewer Tensor’s integration with the leading single sign-on technologies, the goal was to ease many of the burdens enterprises face when provisioning and securing remote access. Once you meet these following challenges, you are free to offer your employees the ability to work anywhere from any device.

    Prevent employees from using personal TeamViewer accounts to access corporate devices

    With over 2 billion connected devices, TeamViewer has a lot of customers. Many of them are single users who subscribe because they’ve found the convenience of being able to access their work devices from home and vice versa. If your company doesn’t provide TeamViewer or it is too cumbersome to access, that user probably finds it easier to simply use their personal account. But IT has very little visibility into such connections, which poses a security risk.

    When you deploy TeamViewer Tensor and make it available through your SSO provider, you provide that single user the remote access they need while gaining visibility into their usage.

    man using TeamViewer remote access from iphone

    Ensure company security policies and guidelines apply to every user account

    In a similar fashion, being able to activate TeamViewer through SSO means you dictate the security protocols that govern those connections. For example, many organizations have opted to make their SSO platform accessible only through multi-factor authentication (MFA). Tying TeamViewer Tensor to your SSO provider means your remote connections also enjoy that extra layer of security. Also, by specifying strict password rules, you ensure employees are using best password practices to gain remote access.

    Not to mention, because there’s only one password to remember, SSO cuts down on password reset requests from employees, which will be welcome news for your help desk.

    Stop unauthorized users and third parties from using company-licensed remote access

    In IT, offboarding is just as complicated as onboarding. It’s common sense that you would rather not have former employees and consultants keeping access to crucial company systems after they’ve left the organization. That’s especially true for remote access credentials.

    When you limit access through SSO, there is just one place to go to make sure the former employee is locked out. Simply eliminate their SSO access. And because that former employee’s remote access is tied to TeamViewer Tensor, which is granted through SSO, that is one less potential vulnerability to keep you up at night.

    asian woman working remotely using TeamViewer Mac Remote Desktop while holding iphone

    Keep track of who’s using enterprise remote access

    Between your SSO provider and the robust reporting functions within TeamViewer Tensor, you gain complete visibility into who is using remote connectivity, when, where, and how much. That level of visibility is invaluable in the event of an internal or regulatory audit. You can even set your TeamViewer account to only establish connections coming from corporate email accounts, further protecting your network from unauthorized users, former employees, and consultants. Group users any way you wish, then deploy TeamViewer Tensor to anyone, on your schedule, without disrupting the users’ workdays.

    Integrating TeamViewer Tensor into your SSO provider allows you to correctly provision remote access without worrying about unknown TeamViewer accounts on your network, all while making it harder for unauthorized users and former employees to enter from the outside. You gain peace of mind while still providing your employees the ability to work from anywhere on any device, especially in the era of the hybrid-remote workplace.

    See how Single Sign-On works with TeamViewer Tensor

    See how Single Sign-On works with TeamViewer Tensor