Using SAP SSO for Adaptive Authentication
Subject: SAP Single Sign-On (SSO) – Leveraging Adaptive Authentication
In today’s evolving cybersecurity landscape, traditional static authentication methods are no longer sufficient to protect enterprise systems effectively. Adaptive Authentication has emerged as a critical approach to balancing security and user convenience by dynamically adjusting authentication requirements based on contextual risk factors.
SAP Single Sign-On (SSO), integrated with SAP’s Identity Authentication Service (IAS) and Identity Management (IDM) solutions, provides a robust platform for implementing adaptive authentication in SAP environments. This article explores how SAP SSO can be leveraged to enable adaptive authentication, enhancing both security posture and user experience.
Adaptive Authentication is a security mechanism that evaluates multiple contextual factors during user login attempts—such as device type, location, time, network security, and user behavior—to dynamically determine the required authentication strength.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, adaptive authentication applies stronger controls like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) only when the risk level is elevated, thus reducing unnecessary friction for users in low-risk scenarios.
SAP SSO, in conjunction with SAP Identity Authentication Service (IAS), supports adaptive authentication by:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Risk-Based Access Policies | Define rules that trigger step-up authentication on risk events. |
| Device Trust | Recognize trusted devices to reduce MFA prompts. |
| Location Awareness | Detect and respond to logins from unfamiliar or blocked regions. |
| Behavioral Analytics | Identify abnormal login patterns to flag potential threats. |
| Step-Up Authentication | Request MFA only when policy conditions are met. |
Connect your SAP applications with SAP Identity Authentication Service to centralize identity and policy management.
Use IAS’s policy engine to create rules based on risk signals (e.g., block access or require MFA if login originates from a high-risk country).
Integrate preferred MFA options such as SMS OTP, email OTP, push notifications via authenticator apps, or hardware tokens.
Regularly review authentication logs and risk triggers to optimize policies for minimal user disruption and maximal security.
A global enterprise uses SAP SSO integrated with IAS for adaptive authentication. When an employee logs in from a known corporate laptop in the office network, access is granted with no extra verification. However, if the login occurs from a new device in a high-risk country or outside normal business hours, the system triggers MFA and alerts security teams to potential suspicious activity.
Adaptive authentication powered by SAP Single Sign-On and SAP Identity Authentication Service represents a modern approach to enterprise security—providing strong protection while respecting user convenience. Organizations implementing SAP SSO for adaptive authentication gain a significant advantage in mitigating identity-based risks and safeguarding critical SAP systems.
Keywords: SAP SSO, Adaptive Authentication, Risk-Based Authentication, SAP Identity Authentication Service, MFA, Enterprise Security, Context-Aware Access Control, SAP IAM