One (Big) Way to Reduce Helpdesk Costs While Increasing Security

IT teams handle a great number of tasks that enable an organization to run smoothly. These include handling questions related to technical support for the company’s computer systems, software, and hardware, in addition to performing regular system updates and meeting periodic training needs. Yet research shows that helpdesks are also spending anywhere from 20-50 percent of their time dealing with password requests. Why are helpdesks so bogged down with password management tasks, and how can you free up their time while also prioritizing security?

A Never-Ending To-Do List

Password resets are costly, primarily because they are time-consuming when done manually. Every issue results in a support ticket that must be opened, filled out, and eventually closed. Then there is the act of resetting the password and confirming with the user that everything has been resolved, or if further troubleshooting is necessary. This process can take ten minutes or longer, which, at first, doesn’t seem like much. However, if you multiply that by the number of employees in a large organization, the labor time quickly begins to add up.

Additionally, since helpdesk staff know that lockouts prevent productivity, they tend to drop what they are doing and tend to the issue. Constant disruptions can prevent other tasks from getting done, or done well, simply because of the time it takes to settle back into work and remember where you were in the process.

Self-service password reset solutions like Core Password enable users to securely reset passwords themselves, freeing up helpdesk employee time and allowing them to work on other important IT needs. Additionally, these solutions not only maintain security, but also can improve it by enforcing reliable authentication, and consistent, stronger password policies. Detailed audit trails also help monitor for any abnormal activity, like mulitple resets.

Enabling Immediacy Through Self Service

While the helpdesk team may be shouldering the burden of reset tasks, they aren’t the only ones dealing with the problems that password issues cause. Users who are locked out of critical business applications and resources are severely limited in the work they can accomplish. Having to call the helpdesk or file a ticket puts that work on hold, disrupting the day of the user and using valuable labor time of a helpdesk employee.

Additionally, these lockouts and reset needs do not always occur during regular business hours. Depending on the industry or organization, helpdesk employees may not be on-call in off hours, meaning the user remains locked out until regular business hours resume. A self-service password reset solution eliminates these problems by allowing the user to reset their own password securely, and then get back to work.

Being locked out of critical applications like email is one thing, but getting locked out of your workstation doesn’t merely reduce productivity, it grinds it to a complete halt. An effective self-service solution needs to provide a way to reset a password even when the user is locked out of the workstation and stuck at the log in screen. Core Password provides several options for solving this problem. This includes a Windows Credential Provider, telephone-based keypad authentication, voice biometric authentication, and mobile phone apps. These solutions also enable users of non-Windows-based applications, like a shop floor terminal or other devices, to take advantage of password self-service.

Calculating Savings for Helpdesk Bandwidth and Budget

Using our budget calculator will provide a high-level overview of potential savings your organization can gain from implementing a self-service password reset solution. Using your own organizational values makes the output more meaningful, allowing you to get an understanding of how your business can benefit from a solution like Core Password.  

Integrating Solutions for Holistic Identity Governance and Administration

IT teams greatly benefit from dedicating less time to constant password management, and employees no longer have to waste time waiting to get back to work. However, even more access management tasks can be streamlined, giving IT teams more time to tend to critical security issues while also ensuring employees have all the access they need to do their jobs.

Core Password is part of Access Assurance Suite, a bundle of robust Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solutions that improves efficiency while also strengthening  security. See how your organization can benefit with a personalized demo.