There can be some minor confusion about what single sign on authentication is and how it operates. First, this type of authentication is used by many organizations, from large global corporations, down to family-owned-and-operated businesses. It allows people to enter a single user name and password into their computer at log-on and to never have to enter it again. While resources may not be immediately connected to at the initial log-on, any time they are called for by the user, later, their computer remembers what they entered and uses this stored user name and password to perform authentication processes in the background, to gain access to resources, establish connections, or launch applications. Because of its ease of use and simplicity, this method of authentication helps reduce support calls for locked accounts, forgotten user names and passwords, and other related issues.
However, it should be pointed out that using single sign on authentication has its risks, as well. When used in an open environment, where a person may leave his computer or workstation for a short period of time, anyone can get on the computer and have access to any resources, files, applications, and data the user does. This means someone else could open your email, connect to your network folders, and perform other types of operations. It is for this reason that some organizations take additional measures to secure their more sensitive data, such as employee records, financial records, and research and development projects using two factor authentication.