In my daily work, I’ve seen how natural digital assessment has become for many institutions. At the same time, I often notice that one crucial aspect is still underestimated: security. Not in the sense of firewalls or data centers, but in the everyday reality of logging in, sharing accounts, and passwords written on sticky notes.
I’ve heard it countless times: “We use separate logins for each system—it’s just more practical, because we don’t always know which teacher will be supervising the exam.” But that’s exactly what makes institutions vulnerable. No matter how good your platform is, the weakest link is often how people log in.
Why separate logins pose a risk
An assessment platform is the last place where you want to take unnecessary risks. Yet I still see shared accounts being used, or staff reusing passwords.
That causes three major problems:
- You never know exactly who did what.
- Passwords get leaked or forgotten.
- And when in doubt, you have to check every single system to revoke access.
That’s not only insecure—it’s also time-consuming.
The power of SSO: one identity, one secure access
Single Sign-On (SSO) is, in my view, essential for any mature digital assessment environment. With SSO, each user logs in with their personal account through the institution’s central identity provider—such as Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, or SURFconext.
No more separate passwords. No more shared accounts.
The beauty of SSO is that it’s not only safer, but also more user-friendly. Users barely notice the difference, while administrators gain far greater control. A single, centralized management point means you can act immediately if something goes wrong.
You can also easily add extra layers of security, such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), without inconveniencing users.
SSO isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity
In the world of digital assessment, SSO is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a fundamental requirement.
It prevents errors, increases trust, and keeps management clear and efficient.
I help institutions take this step every day. Not just because it’s technically better, but because it lays the foundation for secure and reliable assessment — exactly what digital testing is all about.
In conclusion
As a product owner, I look every day for ways to further improve security and reliability. And every time, I come to the same conclusion:
SSO is the first step toward a secure digital assessment environment.
It’s a small change with a big impact — for administrators, teachers, and students alike.
