Even with today’s sophisticated IT infrastructures, many organisations struggle to locate and secure essential information about user identities when they need it and how they need it. Technical language such as LDAP and Active Directory is prevalent, making it challenging for teams to decide which policies to implement.
Building a secure business network becomes a lot easier once the picture is clarified. For example, it helps to know that LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is essentially a mechanism for accessing information stored in a directory, such as the DNS (Domain Name System) or Okta’s Universal Directory. Okta Universal Directory enables companies to manage data from multiple sources, granting access that's filtered and published to those with the proper security permission to access it.
As businesses grow, they add more and more users to their systems, and that means policies become more important over time. Policies govern users' access and permissions—for instance, password, group, and Wi-Fi policies. Companies that choose Universal Directory benefit when it comes to configuring those policies. Let's take a look at how.
Universal Directory’s benefits for password policies
Okta’s Universal Directory password policy can prevent calls to IT staff from locked out users, freeing the tech team to work on higher-priority projects. For example, if administrators limit password failure to six attempts, Universal Directory can be set for five attempts, effectively locking out access without creating additional IT work at the network level. Releasing a user lock is a simple matter in the graphic interface offered by Universal Directory.
Universal Directory’s benefits for group policies
In addition to individual user policies, Okta’s Universal Directory offers policy administration by group. Windows users will be familiar with this concept of assigning individual users to groups that have access to specific network resources. A particular group, for example, might have access to financial statements, without having the ability to edit those statements or access the actual finance systems.
Universal Directory’s benefits for Wi-Fi policies
Secure, robust mobile solutions are obligatory for today's nomadic worker. Wi-Fi policy in Okta's Universal Directory grants mobile users access according to specific rules. Admins can configure Wi-Fi policies that are automatically pushed to end users enrolled in Okta Mobility Management. End users can therefore join an established Wi-Fi network in a secure manner.
Secure access for your team
No matter what technologies are in use—LDAP, Active Directory, or others—all organisations need to be able to connect their data and their employees. This requires both confidence that the right policies and the right product to implement those policies on are in place. In addition to the advantages mentioned, Okta Universal Directory provides companies with a single, convenient interface for managing all their users, groups, and devices.
CIOs and technical staff should not be faced with outdated technology to administer user security. Talented IT teams need efficiency and centralisation from their administrative tools. With Okta's solutions, admins can create flexible policies that balance strict security needs with customised environments.