Passwords are the first line of defense when it comes to digital security. For most businesses, each employee is going to have at least one username and password that they need to remember. In many cases, there will be many. This is, of course, is in addition to all of their personal accounts and passwords which are sometimes used on the same device as their work accounts.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that somewhere between 20% and 50% of calls to the helpdesk are related to accounts being locked, or password resets.
Depending on the size of your organization, this can mean spending a massive amount of your IT budget on simple account management. Finding an effective password reset solution is a great way to minimizing the time spent on resetting passwords, and getting employees back to work.
Here are the top 5 things you should be on the look out for when you’re shopping for a password reset tool:
1. Verification of the user during a password reset
A password reset solution cannot simply unlock an account or change a password automatically or it would defeat the purpose of having account security in the first place. Instead, the system must first verify that the person requesting the unlock or reset is who they claim to be, and then ensure that their account is supposed to be active.
Tip: Avoid security questions during user verification as they are prone to social engineering. Instead, look for a password reset solution that can verify users via multi-factor authentication with stronger identity providers.
2. Password reset for remote users
Managing remote workers has always presented unique challenges. With more employees working remotely than ever before, it is critical that your password reset system is able to update passwords, even when a Domain Controller cannot be reached.
Tip: Prevent account lockouts with a password reset solution that can update the local cached credentials, even when a Domain Controller cannot be reached.
3. 24/7 Password Reset Options
Many employees today are not working traditional schedules. Instead, they may require access at any time. When account management is handled by the helpdesk, this means you either need to have them staffed 24/7, or some people will be unable to work until the following business day.
A self-service password reset system solves this concern. Whether someone is locked out at 8AM, or 11PM, they can get regain access to their account quickly.
Tip: Use a self-service solution that can be used anywhere, and from any device.
4. Enforcing user enrolment
One of the most frustrating things about purchasing new enterprise software is spending all that money, and having many users fail to start using it. To avoid this problem, you should look for a solution with advanced enrollment settings.
You can either force employees to configure their account with the new system, or encourage them with regular email reminders.
Tip: To help users get started with the self-service solution, find a solution that can automatically enroll users to the password reset system, without requiring users to do anything.
5. Advanced Auditing and Reporting
Track the usage of your password resets, and use your findings to identify specific users who are frequently locked out of their account so they can be provided with the appropriate training.
Tip: Look for a password reset solution with advanced reporting features to keep track of system usage, and ROI.
Investing in a password reset solution
As businesses grow, one of the best ways that they can improve their profitability is by cutting unnecessary costs. If your employees need to uninterrupted access to their accounts, you can support them with a self-service password reset solution.
Not only will you be able to cut back on your helpdesk costs, but you will also be able to improve the productivity of all of your employees.
Contributed by Michael Levanduski
