eviden-logo

Evidian > Products > Authentication Manager: Multi-factor strong authentication (MFA) for PCs and Servers > Share a generic account without sharing passwords and without autologon

Share a generic account without sharing passwords and without autologon

How Evidian secures a login to a generic account on a PC shared by several users ?

Demonstration of a shared generic account without sharing passwords and without autologon

Hospital, retail stores and production lines need to share a PC between multiple users. With Evidian, users share a generic account on the same PC but they do not share password. There are no more autologon or always open sessions.

The video shows the sharing of a generic account with a RFID authentication. When a user presents his/her RFID badge, he/she can access to the generic account with a fast user switching in a few seconds.

Each access is personal and audited by user name.

How to share a generic account without sharing passwords and without autologon?

The Evidian solution

The solution combines Evidian Authentication Manager for strong authentication with RFID and Evidian Enterprise SSO for Single Sign-On. After RFID authentication, users will not have to enter login/passwords to access their applications.

This solution is adapted to a PC used in public access. In this mode, the generic session remains open, but the SSO context and the opening and the closing of the session are handled individually for each user, as illustrated in the figure.

Upon detection of a smart card or an active RFID device, Enterprise SSO starts and prompts the user for his/her PIN (smart card) or password (RFID). Once the user is authenticated, he/she can access his/her own applications in the generic session. When the device is removed, Enterprise SSO is closed.

Share a generic account without sharing passwords and without autologon

Examples of single sign-on solutions with Evidian Enterprise SSO and Authentication Manager

Typical use of SSO by over 5 million employees

Employees use a passwordless strong authentication method. After that, application passwords are automatically entered, on behalf of the employee, during application login prompts. This works either with web based, desktop as well as legacy applications without modifying them. Evidian gives an access to the applications to which the employee is entitled. And it transparently modifies and manages strong passwords for each application. An access log is centralized to facilitate audits, to know which employee uses which application and to meet regulatory constraints.

One PC - used by several users

Branch employees, sales staff in outlets, workers in manufacturing industry and others share a same PC in their Enterprise. They use a shared account with autologon to access the Windows session without password to save time. However, knowing who authenticated to the PC and at what time cannot be audited. Evidian with its multi-user desktop solves this problem with a fast user switching in a few seconds and a strong authentication method like a RFID badge to unlock the shared session.

One user – using multiple PCs successively

The day-to-day tasks of some employees may require them to move around within a site, such as doctors in a hospital, production managers at an industrial site, store vendors, and others. On each PC, they must log in to access their session and log out. As it takes time, an alternative solution must be found. Evidian offers a simple solution with a roaming session avoiding multiple login.

One user – using multiple PCs at once

Some employees need multiple PCs and monitors in order to work. These may include trading room workers, control room operators in industry, in transport, in video surveillance and others. It is unrealistic to ask these employees a multiple login to all PCs. Evidian offers a solution with a single login to multiple computers at once.

Are you looking for another solution?

Evidian offers many other solutions that will certainly meet your needs. Do not hesitate to contact us.

Passwordless, contactless, handsfree authentication

Evidian SSO Single Sign-On

Evidian Enterprise SSO provides single sign-on to all users, businesses and organizations.

Free your users from remembering and typing passwords and drive your security policy by automating password management.

Why passwordless strong authentication methods?

Passwordless authentication

Passwords are the weak point of many authentication policies. Single or shared Windows passwords create a risk of intrusion and make it almost impossible to precisely verify the use of Windows accounts.

Replace passwords

Replace passwords with strong authentication: devices or biometrics. With Evidian Authentication Manager, users can prove their identity by what they have (smart card), who they are (biometrics) and what they know (password).

2FA - 2 factor authentication (or MFA)

Authentication Manager grants you the capability to use 2 factor authentication (or more). With this feature, your users will have to use 2 methods of authentication in order to login to their Windows session.

Even for sensitive applications

You can use a strong authentication to reauthenticate users when accessing sensitive applications and not only at Windows session login. And this transparently to the application by adding the Enterprise Single Sign-On module.

Evidian passwordless strong authentication methods

Evidian Authentication Manager replaces passwords by strong authentication methods.

Cover all authentication scenarios, whether a user accesses one or several PCs, or several users share one PC.

More than 5 million employees use Evidian authentication products

Most popular authentication

Description
  1. Password
Simple, even rustic, its biggest flaw is that the security level depends directly on the complexity of the password. The result is that too many overly complex passwords make users take various measures to remember passwords, such as writing them down on Post-It™ notes or entering them in an Excel file or a smartphone.

A login and password combination is the most commonly used method of authentication. Single sign-on (SSO) solutions can reduce the increased number of passwords.

  1. One-Time Password OTP)
An OTP can prevent a password from being stolen and reused. An OTP system (usually a specialized calculator) provides a password upon request. This password is valid for a limited period of time and can only be used once.OTP is generally used for initial authentication for external access via VPN. It does not require any configuration of the workstation or smartphone concerned.
  1. PKI certificates on a smart card or USB key
X.509 certificates are often used to encrypt or sign messages without having to share a secret. The login ID is a public certificate that is signed and therefore guaranteed by a recognized certification authority. The user must provide a secret piece of information in order to use the cryptographic elements, such as the PIN code of its smart card or its USB key. In companies, smart cards are typically used more often than USB keys for authentication, even though the chip itself is often the same in both cases.This solution is frequently used for initial authentication or for access to email or web applications. It requires a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
  1. Login and password on a smart card or USB key
Storing the login and password on a smart card completely secures the authentication process. The password can be very complex, and it can be automatically and randomly changed very frequently. Without the card and its PIN code, there is no longer access to the password.This solution is usually used for authentication on PCs without having to deploy a key infrastructure.
  1. Cell phone
A cell phone can serve as an authentication object. There are two main methods used:

  • During authentication, a one-time password is sent by SMS to the user's cell phone.
  • A smartphone application calculates a one-time password itself.

The cell phone method is often used if the user forgets his password or smart card, particularly for access on the Internet.

  1. Biometrics
Authentication using biometrics is based on verifying a part of the user's body. The most often type used is the digital fingerprint. The user's biometric data is stored on a central server (with major legal constraints), on the workstation, or on a smart card.Biometrics is typically used for initial authentication or to protect access to highly sensitive applications.
  1. Contactless card
A chip that is embedded into a contactless card contains a code that identifies a user. Therefore this is an identification method that, paired with a password, can be used in authentication procedures. There are two versions of this technology. With active RFID, the card has its own power unit. This enables detection over a longer range (e.g. when entering a room or office).Active RFID can be used to detect absence for workstations in areas accessible to the general public.With passive RFID (HID, MIFARE, etc.), the card does not have its own power unit. When it is read, it is powered by an electromagnetic field generated by the reader.Passive RFID is often used to control physical access using a pass or for payment in a company cafeteria. This type of card can be detected from a few centimeters away

Evidian Products - Protect your company from cyber attacks by unauthorized users

Orbion

Evidian takes care of everything related to your Identity and Access Management with Orbion (Identity as a Service)

Learn more   >

Identity Governance and Administration

Manage access and authorization of all your users in your company

Learn more   >

Web Access Manager

Gateway for web apps with SSO, multi-factor authentication, identity federation

Learn more   >

Analytics

Monitoring and powerful reporting for regulatory compliance

Learn more   >

Authentication Manager

Authentication Manager

Enterprise multi-factor & passwordless authentication on Windows PCs

Learn more   >

Enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO)

Secure access to legacy and web apps on PCs & mobiles with SSO

Learn more   >

Self Service Password Reset (SSPR)

Reset Windows passwords online and offline

Learn more   >

SafeKit

High availability software for critical applications

Learn more   >

Evidian IAM leader in the French and German markets and in U.S. Public Sector

Evidian IAM

Evidian IAM cyber security tools and solutions – Leader in Identity and Access Management in France

Evidian IAM

Evidian IAM cyber security tools and solutions – Leader in Identity and Access Management in Germany

Evidian IAM

Evidian IAM cyber security tools and solutions – Leader in Identity and Access Management in U.S. Public Sector

What are IAM cyber security tools and solutions?