Brief Introduction: Two-Factor Authentication

Fingerprint authentication
As part of our “Brief introduction” series, you will learn today what is meant by two-factor authentication.

If you are planning to use security software, you will surely stumble upon this term, as this method provides additional protection for your business when it comes to login processes, especially for data-sensitive areas. Often enough, it has happened in the past that the identities and associated passwords of users from, for example, large mail providers like Yahoo were stolen. As users often use the same password for different services, there is a risk that the criminals use the stolen data to gain access to other services, thus causing great damage. Securing user authentication against sensitive areas or business-used services not only by requesting a password but also through a second authentication, data breaches become much more difficult for attackers.

Brief Introduction: Samba / Microsoft Active Directory

samca_active_directory

Get a brief understanding about the software Samba and Microsoft Active Directory – two solutions for the central detection and authorization of domain members. These are important features as the central administration of a domain network helps to achieve more data protection and higher failure security for your IT systems.

Learn also more about how UCS is able to bridge the gap between the Linux world and the Windows world so that you can reap the benefits of both systems.

Brief Introduction: Differences of the Cloud Services IaaS, PaaS and SaaS

Cloud computing illustration
Summer time is conference time in the IT world and anyone going to one or more of these events hears about the latest developments in cloud computing, wondering sometimes how to keep up with the sheer number of cloud services acronyms used in this industry.

So let us disentangle the secret code of cloud computing by having a look at what the meaning of the different services IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS actually is.

Brief Introduction: SAML

Schaubild Übersicht SAML

Web-based work has been a widespread phenomenon in many industries for a long time already and is increasingly become standard practice thanks to the recent trend of cloud computing. This all sounds great to begin with, as you also have access to web-based programs from outside of the company and are thus able to work from practically wherever you want, whenever you want. However, the direct consequence of this flexibility is that each user has to remember more and more login data for the individual programs for security reasons. Added to this is also the time and effort required every day for logging in and out of each program, depending on how many programs you work with in parallel.

Luckily, this is where SAML – security assertion markup language – comes into its own. SAML is a secure, XML-based data format for the exchange of authentication and authorization information so as not to put a company’s data security at risk despite web-based working. At the same time, it also offers each and every user an optimal level of comfort.

Brief Introduction: Single Sign-On

Single Sign-On Schaubild

The increasing number of programs that employees in companies have to deal with day in, day out makes their work not only easier but also increasingly more complex. In addition, a higher number of applications also translates to an increasing security risk for the data in the corporate network.

We would now like to take this opportunity to explain how you can make work easier for your employees with single sign-on technology and keep your data safer from external attacks at the same time.

Brief Introduction: Docker

beladenes Containerschiff
Docker has been one of the buzzwords in recent years. Containers in itself are nothing new in the Linux world, and anyone using a shared web space is almost certainly using some container implementation. Docker, however, provides management interfaces and isolation mechanisms that make Docker containers more attractive to use in enterprise environments than any prior container implementation.

A good enough reason to have a closer look at Docker.

Brief Introduction: RADIUS

IT Netzwerk Sicherheit Illustration

A world which is becoming ever more mobile and the outstanding equipment of individuals with private mobile devices suggest that working and learning are no longer confined to an organization’s own devices, but rather the availability of mobile concepts is now a must. For this to become reality, (private) end devices also require simple access to the company networks without their becoming a gateway for malware or leakage. RADIUS, a tool for the authentication of devices accesses to networks, is offered as an important instrument for the construction of secure, decentralized work structures.

Brief Introduction: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Bring Your own Device Illustration

The term “bring your own device” also known by the acronyms “BYOD” and “BYOT” refers to the concept of organizations and companies allowing their employees to bring their private, mobile devices to the office and use them. This can present a number of advantages for both employees and organizations alike, for example:

  • Potential for cost savings on devices from the organization’s perspective
  • Employee satisfaction at being able to choose the device freely
  • Simplification of the work/life balance for employees
  • Increased productivity from not being bound to specific locations and schedules

In addition to the advantages listed above, the development also goes hand in hand with a whole range of legal, organizational, and technical challenges.

Brief Introduction: What’s Behind the Terms LDAP and OpenLDAP?

altes Altenarchiv

Alongside our new series about “Cool Solutions”, this is the second in another new series in which we explain technical terms with short, easy-to-digest articles. In this series we will not be going into too much detail, as the primary objective is to offer you a better overall technical understanding of the wide range of specialist terms we use on a daily basis. Today, we are starting with an explanation of the terms LDAP and OpenLDAP.

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