Secure Sign-in to vPlan: Greater control, lower risk with Single Sign-On

Recent incidents

A recent example is the cyber attack on British retailer Marks & Spencer. The attack caused weeks of operational disruption and is expected to have an impact of hundreds of millions of pounds on the company's financial results. Around the same time, cybersecurity researchers warned of a dataset containing as many as 16 billion exposed login credentials, originating from previous data breaches and infostealer malware.

These examples demonstrate how important identity and access management has become. For organisations, information security is no longer just about firewalls, antivirus software and network protection. The way employees log in, how access is managed, and how quickly permissions can be adjusted or revoked now play an increasingly important role in reducing risk.

This is precisely why more organisations are investing in centralised identity management and solutions such as Single Sign-On (SSO).

Why traditional passwords are no longer enough

In almost every organisation, employees use multiple applications on a daily basis. These may include Microsoft 365, ERP systems, HR software, workforce planning solutions and other business-critical applications. In many cases, each application has its own user account and password.

While this may seem manageable, it often creates challenges in practice. The more accounts employees need to manage, the greater the likelihood that passwords will be reused, chosen poorly, or stored in insecure locations.

In addition, every application with its own user management process creates extra administrative work. New employees require access, permissions must be updated when someone changes roles, and accounts belonging to departing employees must be removed promptly.

Although organisations continue to invest heavily in cybersecurity, users remain one of the most vulnerable links in the security chain. Not because employees are careless, but because managing dozens of accounts and passwords is inherently prone to mistakes.

As a result, more organisations are adopting a centralised approach to authentication and access management.

Single Sign-On: one identity for all your applications

Single Sign-On, commonly referred to as SSO, enables employees to access multiple applications using a single trusted corporate identity.

Rather than signing in separately to each application, users authenticate through the organisation’s identity provider, such as Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or Okta. Once authenticated successfully, they automatically gain access to the systems they are authorised to use.

For employees, this means fewer passwords, fewer login issues and a smoother user experience. For organisations, however, the value extends far beyond convenience.

By centralising authentication, organisations gain greater control over who has access to which systems and under what conditions access is granted.

Greater security and reduced administrative effort

One of the key advantages of Single Sign-On is that existing security measures can automatically be applied across connected applications.

Examples include Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Conditional Access policies, device compliance checks, or additional verification when a login attempt is considered suspicious. Instead of managing security settings separately for each application, everything is controlled centrally through the identity provider.

This makes it much easier to apply security policies consistently across the entire organisation. For example, if employees are only allowed to log in from managed devices or are required to use MFA, these requirements automatically apply to connected applications such as vPlan.

Beyond security improvements, centralised identity management also delivers operational benefits. When a new employee joins the organisation, access rights can be assigned from a single central environment. If an employee changes roles, permissions can be updated quickly and easily. And when someone leaves the organisation, access can be revoked immediately.

This significantly reduces the risk of forgotten accounts remaining active. It also reduces the number of manual administrative tasks, saving time and minimising the risk of human error.

Importantly, stronger security does not have to come at the expense of usability. In many cases, Single Sign-On actually improves the user experience. Employees log in using an account they already use every day and no longer need to remember, retrieve or reset multiple passwords. This leads to less frustration, fewer support requests and a more productive working day.

SSO as part of a modern information security strategy

Identity management is also becoming increasingly important from a compliance and regulatory perspective. Organisations are facing growing requirements related to information security, including standards such as ISO 27001, NEN 7510 and the European NIS2 Directive.

Within these frameworks, topics such as access control, user management and strong authentication play a significant role. While Single Sign-On alone does not guarantee compliance, it does help organisations improve access management and gain greater visibility into who has access to which systems.

As such, SSO forms a valuable component of a broader information security strategy—not just for IT departments, but for the organisation as a whole.

Single Sign-On within vPlan

At vPlan, we also see organisations placing increasingly high demands on security, user management and integration with their existing IT landscape. That is why vPlan supports Single Sign-On through the SAML 2.0 protocol, the industry standard supported by virtually all major identity providers.

This allows employees to log in using their existing corporate account, while authentication and access management remain centrally managed within the organisation’s own IT environment.

vPlan supports Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Okta, ADFS and other SAML 2.0-compatible identity providers. This enables vPlan to integrate seamlessly with your organisation’s existing security policies and infrastructure.

If your organisation already uses security measures such as Multi-Factor Authentication or Conditional Access within Microsoft Entra ID, these controls can also be applied to access within vPlan.

Ready for a more secure way to sign in?

The way employees log in may seem like a small part of the IT environment, but it plays a major role in protecting business data. By centralising authentication, organisations gain greater control over access, reduce risk and simplify the user experience at the same time.

Single Sign-On helps organisations manage users more efficiently, apply security policies more consistently and prepare for the demands of an increasingly digital world.

Interested in exploring how Single Sign-On can be implemented within your organisation? Feel free to get in touch. We would be happy to discuss the possibilities and how SSO can fit within your existing IT landscape.