Optimizing Unified Access Management for a German Financial Advisory Firm

Client Profile

A German financial advisory firm with 250 employees, providing B2B consulting services to institutional clients under strict regulatory and security requirements.

Industry Financial Consultancy
Location Germany
Company Size 250 employees
Duration 9+ months

Technologies Used

Terraform

Business Challenge

This Germany-based financial advisory firm, serving a diverse B2B client base, faced complex authentication challenges across multiple services, impacting security and productivity. The firm required a unified, reliable authentication method to reduce password recovery issues, enhance IT security, and decrease their dependency on an expanding IT support team.

Solution

Our DevOps team implemented Okta SSO, centralizing user management and authentication. Migrating over 80% of the systems, including critical services like email and messaging, we executed a zero-downtime migration, extending the transition to 8 months to ensure consistent service. This comprehensive approach prioritized uninterrupted service and security.

Outcome

Password-related support tickets dropped significantly after the rollout. Centralised user and group management via Okta, managed as code with Terraform, eliminated manual provisioning across services. Hardware token-based MFA for sensitive systems strengthened the firm’s security posture and satisfied regulatory audit requirements.

Process

1

Assessing the Landscape

Audited all user directories, applications, and authentication systems to understand the current state and challenges. Mapped all user roles and permissions across the organization to create unified user profiles. Defined and enforced granular access policies for different user groups and applications.

2

Building the Foundation

Designed and built user and group management automation using Okta's APIs and Terraform to unify multiple authentication systems into a single point of entry.

3

Seamless Migration Strategy

Developed a phased migration strategy for 80% of critical services, ensuring zero-downtime for email, messaging, and collaboration tools.

4

Company-Wide Rollout

Conducted a company-wide rollout of the Okta platform, including user training and support for seamless adoption.

5

Enhancing Security

Introduced mandatory MFA for all users, utilizing Okta Verify and hardware tokens for sensitive systems.

6

Empowering IT Teams

Trained IT teams to use Okta's admin tools effectively, increasing their productivity.

7

Ongoing Support

Provided 24/7 support during and after the migration to address user concerns and ensure a smooth transition.

Conclusion

Unified identity management via Okta SSO simplified authentication for 250 employees, reduced IT support burden, and strengthened security — meeting the regulatory standards expected in financial services.

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