Atlassian Crowd – Identity Management & Single Sign-On

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Crowd makes it easier for users to log in to all web applications. This is achieved by requiring just one password for any connected application to log in to Crowd. The Atlassian tool then authorises the user for the specific application to which they require access. This also allows roles and permissions to be centrally assigned and adjusted.

Integration of the infrastructure

Thanks to the integrated integration options for Microsoft Azure AD, Google Apps and other third-party add-ons, it is straightforward to integrate your existing identity infrastructure into Crowd. In addition, developers are provided with a central REST interface, enabling them to create custom integrations without having to familiarise themselves with LDAPv3. This makes it easy to switch between directories without affecting applications.

Centralised Identity Management

With Crowd, you can manage users from multiple directories. For example, you can connect and administer users from Active Directory, LDAP, OpenLDAP or Microsoft Azure AD. Authentication permissions can also be controlled from a single location. Once web applications such as Jira, Confluence or external software have been integrated, administrators can manage all users and their permissions centrally.

Managing group permissions

The tool also allows you to define users’ authentication permissions in LDAP. This saves a great deal of time, as once new users have been set up, they are automatically added to the specified groups. This also allows group changes to be made in the directory.

Centralisation of multiple directories

Crowd makes it possible to assign any combination of different directories to a single application. This facilitates the management of users outside the main directory. Connectors are available for Active Directory, Microsoft Azure AD, LDAP, Novell eDirectory and many others to enable centralised management of authentication. It is also possible to create your own custom connectors.

Meeting compliance and security requirements

The integrated audit log gives you greater control over the setup, as it allows you to track configuration changes. This means that implementing Crowd provides additional protection. Furthermore, through integration with third-party tools, you can transfer reports on audit entries to the Atlassian tool via a REST API. This makes it possible to gain an overview of all changes made across the entire environment.

✔ Multi-domain access

The trend among modern businesses is towards centralised IT processes. This provides greater visibility across many organisational and technical levels. As a result, this not only leads to greater IT efficiency, but also allows organisations to reap the benefits of a centralised approach. These benefits include, for example, reduced support costs and a better overview of the various web applications. However, a large number of projects across countless instances in different domains present specific challenges that require suitable solutions. With Atlassian Crowd’s multi-domain access, both users and administrators can utilise single sign-on across different domains. This works regardless of where the instances are hosted or which staff members use them. This helps you avoid potential issues relating to functions or locations and creates the conditions for smooth and hassle-free use of all domains.

✔ Improved user experience

A particular challenge with SSO has traditionally been providing a seamless user experience for both administrators and users. With SSO 2.0, Crowd meets this requirement through improved configuration, new options for third-party integration and an optimised login process. The key SSO mechanisms can be configured in Crowd with just a few clicks. Potential disruptions, such as time-consuming restarts during setup or the need to edit the files to be integrated, are eliminated. Administrators benefit from a unified configuration experience across all Atlassian products and third-party applications.  Atlassian Crowd also supports all major identity management providers, such as Microsoft Azure AD, Microsoft ADFS, OKTA, OneLogin and PingOne. Ultimately, this provides a single login page for all applications linked to Crowd.

✔ Additional layers of security

Additional security mechanisms have also been implemented to minimise potential risks. Crowd allows all cookies to be cleared quickly and enables better precautions to be taken in the event of a security issue. There is also the option to test authentication before it is applied to all users. This saves time and gives administrators greater control and security, as all content is secure before it goes live for users. Together with the Crowd Data Centre, SSO 2.0 thus forms a new generation of enterprise identity management. These solutions are easier to manage, customisable and can be equipped with additional layers of security.