Workday, a leading enterprise cloud applications provider for finance and human resources, provides numerous options for managing user authentication. One key feature of its suite of products is the capacity to establish and implement authentication policies; this blog article will explore their implementation and advantages
Workday allows organisations to create and oversee authentication policies, enabling administrators to select sign-in criteria for individual user groups based on security classification. These policies provide precise control over authentication processes, guaranteeing that only authorized individuals can gain access to specific features within the Workday system. By taking advantage of such policies, organisations can align security measures with corporate policies, internal needs, and risk management plans
Accessing the Manage Authentication Policies Report
To configure or modify authentication policies, it is necessary to access the Manage Authentication Policies report and follow this sequential guide:
1. Access Workday provides your administrative credentials to access Workday.
2. Navigating to the Security Menu From the main menu, navigate directly to the Security section for Security Menu access and then choose and apply authentication policies in the Security menu section.
3. Access the Manage Authentication Policies Report. To access this report, navigate to “Manage Authentication Policies.
Draft and Formulate Authentication Policies
Once you access the Manage Authentication Policies report, you may begin changing or creating new authentication policies. Here is how:
1. Select Existing Policy for Modification: To modify an existing policy, locate it from the list and click its name to view its details.
2. Create New Policy: In order to create new policies, the Create button can be used.
3. Establish Policy Parameters: Determine the parameters for the policy, including:
Policy Title:
Assign an appropriate and descriptive title to the policy.
Description: Provide a succinct overview of its content.
Security Groups: Allocate policies to various security groups. Sign-In Criteria: Define criteria under which users of designated security groups may authenticate. These may include temporal context, geographical position, and device type.
4. Preserve Policy: Once the parameters have been established, be sure to uphold your policy and implement any modifications or updates that arise from their implementation.
Establishing Access Limitations
Alongside creating authentication policies, it’s advisable to implement access limits based on security groups’ login methods to ensure that only designated functionalities are available to these groups.
1. Navigating to the Access Restriction Column in the Manage Authentication Policies Report: Find and identify the Access Restrictions column in the Manage Authentication Policies report.
2. Define Access Limitations: Establish access limitations for each security group, restricting their access to specific reports, transactions or functions. 3. Implement These Limitations: Make modifications that comply with these access limitations to put them into effect.
Workday offers comprehensive reporting to facilitate the oversight and administration of authentication policies, with Sign-On and Attempted Sign-On reports providing key insight. Here is what you need:
Sign-On and Attempted Sign-On Report: This report offers a detailed summary of all sign-on activity, both successful and attempted sign-on. It includes details regarding users, sign-on time, the method employed and any access limitations placed upon sign-on.
Access Restriction Column: This report’s Access Restriction column details any restrictions placed on each sign-on attempt, providing a greater understanding of policy enforcement and pinpointing potential problems.
Implementing Workday authentication policies offers numerous significant advantages:
Granular Control: Authentication criteria can be tailored specifically to the unique needs of individual user groups, providing only authorized people access to sensitive data and functionalities.
Align with Organisational Policies: To efficiently meet compliance and risk mitigation goals, authentication policies can be tailored to match your organization’s security protocols and mandates. This ensures compliance while mitigating risk.
Risk Management: Setting sign-in criteria and access limitations may reduce risks related to unauthorised access and data breaches.
User Experience: While security should always come first, authentication policies can also be tailored to provide a pleasant and user-friendly experience, striking an optimal balance between security and convenience.
Future-Proofing: Workday plans to discontinue delegated authentication in its next release; therefore, adopting alternative authentication methods today will facilitate an easy transition and maintain robust security standards.
Workday’s authentication policies are essential tools for creating a secure organisational environment.
By employing these policies, managers can ensure users adhere to the authentication processes associated with their security group, thus mitigating risks while simultaneously providing productive access to essential functionalities.
As delegated authentication gradually falls away over time, organisations should proactively implement more secure solutions.
