Frontline workers operate away from traditional desks and play a crucial role in various industries. From healthcare professionals and retail associates to factory workers and emergency responders, these individuals face unique challenges that demand efficient and secure authentication solutions. Enter the OLOID and Okta integration: a powerful combination designed to enhance workplace security, streamline access to essential enterprise applications, and significantly boost productivity.
By leveraging OLOID’s innovative passwordless authentication platform in conjunction with Okta’s robust identity and access management capabilities, organizations can now offer their deskless workforce a seamless, secure, and efficient way to access critical systems and applications. This integration not only reduces IT support costs and strengthens security but also empowers employees by simplifying their access to the tools they need, even on shared devices. In this blog, we’ll explore how the OLOID-Okta integration transforms the authentication landscape for frontline workers and drives significant benefits for organizations across diverse sectors.
How OLOID & Okta work together
Through the OLOID-Okta integration, both shared and dedicated devices can be used by frontline workers to access Okta-managed enterprise applications using physical identity factors. This allows organizations to enhance their Okta deployment by enabling physical identity factor-based authentication for their frontline workers.
Implementing OLOID’s authentication solution allows frontline workers, using both shared and dedicated devices, to log into Okta-managed enterprise applications through seamless and secure facial authentication, eliminating the need for usernames and passwords.
- OLOID integrates directly with Okta via the industry-standard OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocol.
- Once integrated, OLOID syncs all users in the Okta system, allowing them to log into Okta and all Okta-managed enterprise applications using facial recognition.
- Okta remains the source of truth and the system of record.
- Employees’ faces can be synced from another enterprise system or uploaded by the users.
- Unlike many other systems, OLOID’s passwordless authentication is not tied to a particular device, making it ideal for frontline workers who commonly share devices provided by their employers.
Who Are Frontline Workers?
Frontline workers are typically blue-collar, deskless employees such as factory production line and warehouse workers, food processing staff, retail associates, doctors and nurses, delivery personnel, emergency responders, call center personnel, police officers, and more.
Use Cases for Frontline Workers
This passwordless authentication technology enables various use cases for frontline workers, such as single sign-on (SSO), deviceless multi-factor authentication (MFA) using numerous physical identity factors, multi-user/multi-device passwordless unlock/login, self-service password reset, compliance for critical applications, contactless time clocking, physical access control (PAC), operational technology (OT) systems access, and Zero Touch Passwordless Onboarding.
How Are Their Needs Unique?
Frontline workers face several unique challenges compared to knowledge workers within the same organization:
- Use of Shared Devices: No saved usernames or passwords, and users cannot stay logged in after completing their tasks.
- Time-Sensitive Environments: Need to log in quickly without any delays.
- Frequent Device Transition: May use multiple devices throughout the day.
- Impractical to Type: Hands may be dirty or gloved; PPE safety and sanitary requirements.
- Frequent Authentication: Log in and out multiple times daily.
- No Mobile Phones: Cannot use authenticator apps or SMS for multi-factor authentication.
- Language Barriers: Difficulty understanding login instructions.
- Numerous Usernames and Passwords: Challenges in remembering multiple credentials.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Integrates seamlessly with SSO systems, allowing users to authenticate their identity once and access multiple applications and systems without re-entering credentials. This provides frictionless authentication with factors suited to frontline workers.
- Can provision device users from existing SSO systems, like Okta Automatic SSO.
- Works with existing MDMs (Mobile Device Management) like VMware Workspace ONE.
- OLOID’s app dashboard can be used as a launcher if no MDM system is deployed.
- Single identity and quick, easy access result in less time spent accessing devices and more time working and producing.
Deviceless Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Enables comprehensive MFA with Okta.
- Includes MFA and compliance for critical apps, providing enhanced security for high-risk applications and compliance environments.
- Tracks individual user activity within shared accounts and helps generate automated reports.
- Provides more secure authentication than SMS, is more convenient than authenticator apps, and is more practical than hardware keys.
- Enables deviceless MFA in environments where mobile phones or hardware keys are not an option.
- Provides hassle-free MFA compliance for a frontline workforce.
- Even works in offline mode for device logins.
Physical identity factors for passwordless MFA authentication include:
- Biometrics: Face and Palm
- Face-based login and MFA with liveness detection
- iBeta/NIST compliant passive liveness detection
- Unbiased results across demographics with a 99.67% average confidence score
- Works on all devices with standard webcams and in low light
- Centralized onboarding with HRIS photo sync
- PIN:
- Easy to remember credential
- Users set their unique PIN, or the PIN information can be from a third-party system (e.g., phone numbers, employee ID, date of birth)
- Secure local on-device authentication
- Access Card:
- Quick credential capture and authentication
- Works with existing RFID access cards
- Card readers available for laptops, PCs, tablets, and phones
- NFC:
- Quick credential capture and authentication
- Supports NFC stickers for added security
- RFID/NFC readers available for various devices
- QR Code:
- Quick credential capture and authentication
- Works on any device with a standard webcam
- Suitable for issuing temporary credentials that can be transmitted electronically
Multi-User/Multi-Device Passwordless Unlock/Login
Unlike many other systems, OLOID’s passwordless authentication is not tied to a particular device. Any number of users can log into a given device, making it ideal for frontline workers who commonly share devices provided by their employers.
- Works across device brands and operating systems including Windows, Apple, Android, and Zebra.
- Works in environments with limited or no internet connectivity.
Self-Service Password Reset
Enables frontline employees to reset passwords using their face, access card, or PIN-based authentication, with no email, phone, or pre-setup needed. This effortless password reset with no technical skills required results in reduced support tickets for password resets and significant IT support cost reduction.
Compliance with Critical Applications
Implement Zero-Trust passwordless authentication security policies by having accountability for what was accessed, when, and by whom, even on shared devices. This adds another layer of physical and cybersecurity to protect against business/production disruptions, costly regulatory fines, shareholder lawsuits, and damage to brand, market share, buyer confidence, and revenue.
Operational Technology (OT) Systems Access
Provide modern workplace security access to Operational Technology systems previously accessible only with limited, often outdated physical and cyber security safeguards.
Zero Touch Passwordless Onboarding
Unlike traditional FIDO-based approaches, OLOID provides fully automated passwordless onboarding, requiring zero involvement from end users. This is achieved by integrating with HRIS, SSO, and PACS systems through a comprehensive catalogue of pre-built enterprise systems integrations and workflow orchestration capabilities at the time the employee is hired.
- Automated sync with HRIS: Picture Onboarding.
- Automated sync with SSO: Identity & Access Tokens.
- Automated sync with PACS: Badge/Access Card Onboarding.
- When passwordless onboarding is completed, employees are ready to authenticate passwordlessly from day one.
- Users can log into their account on any device without linking their face to that device, simplifying onboarding.
At the end of their time at an organization, off-boarding employees is also easier, as OLOID supports high attrition environments by automating the disabling of access for offboarded identities.
Conclusion
Explore in more detail how the OLOID-Okta integration has overcome authentication challenges for frontline workers in numerous organizations, leading to a fast return on investment (ROI) when switching to passwordless authentication, and improving their bottom line in the process. Visit our website and Contact Us to speak with a specialist about how we’ve done so for Tyson Foods and many other companies across diverse industries over the years.
