HENNGE One was deployed to create a global authentication infrastructure. Smooth and secure authentication was achieved throughout the entire group.
— What were some of the major changes in the information system environment triggered by the coronavirus disaster?
Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, it was necessary to establish a remote work system for the entire group. To this end, we distributed notebook PCs to employees using rental services and other means. The number of such PCs amounted to 3,500.
Then, a major change in the information system environment was the acceleration of the shift to cloud computing. At Corona Disaster Relief, the core system, expense reimbursement system, purchase order system, sales support system, and other systems have been converted to the cloud, and SaaS-based applications are increasingly being used. As an administrator, the reduction in man-hours required to manage servers and other systems has made it easier for our employees in the Information Systems Department to implement remote work.
The transition to remote work has also entailed some challenges. One of them was the establishment of a system for overseas offices. Many of our overseas locations were locked down, and procuring PCs was a challenge.
— Please tell us how HENNGE One was introduced.
We wanted to introduce an optimal authentication infrastructure for our remote work system. After the shift to remote work, we needed to strengthen our measures to prevent third parties from spoofing logins, since the number of SaaS-based applications has increased and the number of employees working outside the office has also increased. Previously, we had been using an on-premise authentication infrastructure, but this required multiple interactions between the administrator and user side for a single authentication, which was time-consuming to operate. In particular, due to the time difference, it sometimes took more than a day to authenticate users at overseas locations. In order to eliminate these authentication problems, we began to consider a new authentication infrastructure.
— What were the deciding factors in selecting HENNGE One?
In order to renew our authentication infrastructure, we selected products based on the three key criteria of “ability to strengthen existing security,” “usability,” and “price,” and finally compared two products, including HENNGE One. The deciding factor in selecting HENNGE One was its high usability. The UI of the user screen was excellent, and we felt we could operate it intuitively without detailed explanations, and the same was true of the administrator’s screen. In addition, the authentication process, which had become complicated with the existing system, was no longer necessary, and we could expect a significant improvement in operational efficiency on both the administrator and user sides.
— Are there any points you paid attention to or tried to work out when introducing HENNGE One?
We carefully tested the system, because if an error occurred after the start of operation, our global operations could be delayed. Specifically, we set up a tenant in the domain of Dai-ichi Seiko, our former company name, and conducted tests that matched the actual conditions of our business operations.
— What changes have you seen since implementing HENNGE One?
Global, smooth and secure authentication is now possible. Single sign-on (SSO) for multiple SaaS applications has streamlined the management of IDs and passwords and reduced the risk of spoofed logins by third parties. In addition, the authentication process has become smoother, even at overseas sites, because the exchange between the user and the administrator has been eliminated. Since the server for the authentication infrastructure is no longer required, the administrative man-hours required by the administrator have also been greatly reduced.
What is also impressive is that the number of inquiries from users during the introduction of the system has been reduced to an extremely low level. Immediately after the start of operations, we in the Information System Department were terrified, as we expected to receive a large number of inquiries about how to operate the system. However, we were wrong. In fact, we received almost no inquiries. I think that users were able to operate the HENNGE One authentication screen without any confusion. I think this was made possible by HENNGE One’s excellent UI.
— Are there any points to keep in mind when implementing HENNGE One?
Generally, security and usability have a contradictory relationship, so I think the key to implementing a security system, including HENNGE One, is how to enhance security without compromising user convenience. Introducing a system that reduces the burden on users will appeal to upper management during the decision-making phase, and will also lead to a reduction in man-hours during the aforementioned introduction phase. We also received advice from HENNGE at the time of implementation, and we believe that the expert advice from the vendor will be very helpful.
— Finally, what is your outlook and enthusiasm for security and IT governance in the future?
For a company like ours with a global footprint, strengthening IT governance is an essential initiative. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are some differences in common sense and culture regarding IT in each country, and there is a limit to the number of personnel on the management side. Therefore, the key point for the future is how to flexibly and efficiently take control of the system. In this respect, we feel that HENNGE One is an extremely effective product that allows us to centrally manage multiple SaaS applications and improve security.