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Managed Services Platform Authentication Guide

This guide describes how to set up and configure two different types of authentication methods as a user of Managed Services. Full Access or Administrator permission settings are required to update your authentication settings.

Managed Services offers two authentication methods: 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) and single sign-on access (SSO).

  • 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection by requiring extra verification from a third-party authentication application. Managed Services Platform offers a free 2FA solution through Google Authenticator, so that users can log in securely by receiving verification codes on their mobile devices. Managed Services requires all users to set up 2FA.

  • Managed Services also offers authentication support with single sign-on (SSO) enablement. Single-sign on (SSO) allows users to access authorized network resources with one login. SSO compares the stored data to what a user is submitting for authentication to verify their identity before granting them access.

    For SSO, it is necessary to have a stable and secure directory service. There are two access protocols through which SSO can be enabled: Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). To access Managed Services' SSO, users can either set up Microsoft's AD FS server or register for Okta's LDAP service.

Prerequisites:

  • For 2FA, Google Authenticator must be set up. Administrator or Full Access permission settings are required.
  • For SSO access:
    • You will need an IdP (identity provider) from Okta or an AD FS server.
  • The IdP must also support Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0.

  • You will need IT team members from your organization who have administrator privileges on the IdP system who will help you configure the system.

  • A Note on Terminology
    The Managed Services Platform interfaces (both the Web interface and the API) use a few common words in a particular and restricted sense.

  • 2-Factor Authentication
    2-Factor Authentication (2FA) allows users to make their Managed Services accounts more secure.
  • Single Sign-on Using AD FS
    Single sign-on (SSO) is a different authentication method that helps to make Managed Services accounts more secure.
  • Single Sign-on Using Okta
    Another way to configure single sign-on is to use Okta itself, rather than AD FS, to perform authentication.