Published August 15, 2022
Author: Ash Khan

With Google’s single sign-on options you can now easily access your account without any inconvenience. 

In a recent welcome security boost, Google has announced that its Cloud and Workspace accounts will now support single sign-on (SSO) from third-party identity providers.

The Workspace company claims that customers will be able to more easily access Google’s services using their existing identity systems.

For more than a decade, Google has supported SSO via the widely available SAML protocol. However, allowing multiple SAML 2.0-based identity providers should increase the tech giant’s appeal to IT administrators worldwide.

Google Cloud single sign-on

Google Workspace Identity Product Manager explained companies frequently end up with multiple identity providers. It could be due to mergers, acquisitions, or simply a variety of IT strategies. It is expected that by adding support for multiple identity providers, businesses and workers will be able to access Google Cloud without the need for time-consuming migrations. Which let’s be honest frequently result in complex transitions and issues.

From the Admin console, Google Cloud administrators can enable up to 100 profiles. Setup entails entering some basic information, such as a sign-in URL and an X.509 certificate for authentication.

There is also the addition of OIDC support – another protocol that can be used alongside SAML-based identity providers. It is planned for the company’s single sign-on operations in the future. This is scheduled to roll out in later 2022.

Google has been pushing a slew of security updates, including alerts for potentially dangerous changes made to Google accounts. The company is doing so to make its cloud services as appealing to business customers as possible.

Despite rumors of new apps coming to Workspace accounts, Google has also been in the news for the wrong reasons. Previously the company threatened to break its promise to early G Suite adopters. This new addition is hopefully a gesture of goodwill towards the present and potential customers.