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Chapter 6: Preparing for your Central Authentication single sign-on configuration
Central authentication overview
Central Authentication provides an alternative method for implementing single sign-on in your organization.
Using Central Authentication, you can use your existing Identity Provider (IdP) to authenticate against
Nuance applications, allowing you to use your existing corporate credentials to log in. Central Authentication
uses federated identity management - the ability to use the same identification data to allow users to access
all resources in a group - to provide a single source of authentication that is secure, simple, and seamless.
Central Authentication also provides the option to use multi-factor authentication, such as access cards or
voice biometrics.
Unlike single sign-on, which allows a single authentication credential to access different systems within a
single organization, Central Authentication uses a federated identity management system to provide single
access to multiple systems across one or more enterprises. In this instance, the enterprises are Nuance and
your organization.
With Central Authentication enabled, Nuance clients authenticate against the Central Authentication
federation server hosted in the cloud. When a user logs in to a Nuance application, Central Authentication
performs a redirect to your IdP (or to the NMC server, which can also be used as an IdP). Authentication
occurs within the IdP, which then federates with the Central Authentication federation server. The federation
server then passes back a secure token that grants users access to their application.
If you are already using single sign-on with the existing Active Directory method, you can optionally switch to
Central Authentication for a more secure, server-to-server authentication solution.
A Nuance representative configures most of your Central Authentication single sign-on implementation.
Central Authentication is currently supported for Nuance cloud-hosted NMC server customers only.
Central Authentication benefits
Choosing to implement single sign-on in your organization with Central Authentication offers the following
benefits:
l You can use your existing identity provider, if you have one.
l Server-to-server authentication is simple, secure, and seamless.
l You can optionally implement multi-factor authentication, such as access cards and voice
biometrics.
l You can extend the strong password policy and security protocols that already exist through your
identity provider to your Nuance applications.
l You can onboard and offboard employees easily using your identity provider.
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