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BYOD Onboarding Solutions

Relying on end-users to configure unmanaged devices can lead to potential credential compromise and critical omissions, such as missing server certificate validation. JoinNow MultiOS combats misconfiguration by making configuration easy and headache-free for end-users of any technical proficiency.

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It’s a win-win situation. Users are quickly enrolled without assistance, it saves helpdesk resources, and it helps us mitigate credential theft because the software addresses user errors.
JOHN, SECURITY ENGINEER II

BYOD Onboarding for Passwordless Authentication FAQs

What is the User Experience Like for Your Self-Service 802.1X Wi-Fi Onboarding Application?

Our self-service 802.1x configuration provides a smooth user experience for BYOD Wi-Fi onboarding. The procedure begins when the user navigates to a customizable landing page commonly available via an Onboarding SSID. They input their SAML IDP credentials, like Google, Azure, or Okta logins. Once the user is verified in the IDP, the JoinNow MultiOS client is installed and runs on their device.

This smart application installs the proper wireless network profile and enrolls the BYOD for a certificate based on the groups and policies in your SAML IDP. The guided user route ensures accurate settings on the first try and offers a visually intuitive and quick onboarding procedure. It is compatible with most major operating systems.

All this is accomplished in just a few clicks and minutes on the end-user’s part.

Why Should I Consider Transitioning Away from Password-Based Wireless Network Authentication?

Moving away from password-based network authentication is imperative for enhanced security, particularly for 802.1x configuration and BYOD Wi-Fi onboarding. Passwords carry the danger of credential compromise and are susceptible to breaches. BYODs, especially, pose the risk of compromise as they are not managed and IT teams have no insight into the threats they might carry. There’s no guarantee that users are properly securing and updating their own devices, which makes giving those devices network access a daunting prospect.

Aside from the security aspects, passwordless network authentication leads to a friendlier user experience. Users no longer need to repeatedly enter in a password to achieve network connectivity. Once they’ve enrolled for certificates through the Wi-Fi onboarding process, they connect to your network easily and automatically. What’s more, they no longer have to deal with the frustration of disconnects due to password resets and expirations.

JoinNow MultiOS simplifies moving to certificate-driven security by quickly empowering end-users to enroll for certificates on unmanaged devices. The simplified, self-service configuration lowers the need for passwords, resulting in more secure network access inside your organization and a friendlier end-user login experience.

How Do We Ease the Trasition from Password-Based EAP/PEAP/MSCHAPv2 to EAP-TLS?

With JoinNow MultiOS, switching from password-based EAP/PEAP to EAP-TLS is even easier, boosting network security and improving user experience. Users should be informed in a clear and concise manner that this solution offers a safe passwordless experience, speeds up login, and removes the inconvenience of password expiration. A flexible approach is ensured with support for PEAP/TTLS/PAP and EAP-TLS on the same SSID, with JoinNow MultiOS easily handling the complexities.

Use JoinNow MultiOS's features to integrate vanity URLs and QR codes for a simple onboarding process that works for users of all technical skill levels. You may provide a concentrated environment with a dedicated onboarding SSID to help people migrate seamlessly. Implement a staged migration approach in which JoinNow MultiOS allows you to evaluate certificate enrollment and connection in a restricted environment before expanding. This method puts your organization at the forefront of safe, user-centric EAP-TLS adoption while also minimizing interruptions.

What are the Benefits of a PKI for My Organization?

Implementing a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) significantly benefits your organization. By enabling the use of digital certificates for the authentication process, administrators have more visibility and control over who accesses their wireless networks. Thanks to our powerful policy engine and managed PKI, an enterprise network can create granular policies over network access, such as the ability to segment users into different VLANs. Additionally, certificates can control access to network resources beyond wireless access, such as access to applications, VPN, desktop logon, and much more.

One of the historical issues with PKIs, however, has been the degree of expertise and maintenance they require, especially when it comes to deploying certificates to all of your endpoints. To provide a smooth onboarding process, JoinNow MultiOS uses PKI for secure Wi-Fi onboarding. This strong infrastructure protects sensitive data, builds a platform for reliable communication, guarantees a safe digital environment for your company, and strengthens your wireless network against attacks.

How Does Certificate Renewal Work with JoinNow MultiOS?

JoinNow MultiOS offers a simple, efficient approach for renewing certificates. Although it is a dissolvable client that needs to be periodically reinstalled on unmanaged or personal devices, JoinNow MultiOS makes the renewal process easier.

End users are prompted to return to the landing page and restart JoinNow MultiOS through timely reminders or alerts. They easily renew their certifications in this way, guaranteeing constant, uninterrupted wireless network connectivity—especially in BYOD environments. It's worth noting that automatic renewal applies mainly to managed devices, where JoinNow MultiOS handles certificate renewal in the background. Streamlining certificate administration relieves IT personnel of administrative tasks and gives end users a hassle-free experience.

What are the Risks of Users Misconfiguring 802.1X?

Relying on end users to configure their devices for 802.1X network access is a risk. Many settings may be overlooked, such as server certificate validation. Without server certificate validation properly configured, users could potentially correct to the wrong server and send information they shouldn’t, such as sensitive credentials. One of the big risks is that 802.1x doesn’t require Server Certificate Validation to be configured before devices connect. Some organizations even instruct users to omit the setting to reduce the IT tickets they might receive. This can be a massive vulnerability, as we’ve had numerous reports of student’s harvesting thousands of credentials on campus.

JoinNow MultiOS mitigates these risks by offering a self-service solution that ensures accurate setups, even for users with diverse technical skills, minimizes the possibility of misconfigurations, and strengthens network security.

Can I Mitigate Wi-Fi Disconnects Using 802.1X Onboarding Technology

In short, yes. Deploying certificate-based authentication for your wireless network reduces Wi-Fi disconnects related to password issues, such as password changes and resets. Using Wi-Fi onboarding technology simply makes it easier to deploy those certificates to the devices on your wireless network.

As a result, JoinNow MultiOS, an 802.1X onboarding solution, substantially reduces Wi-Fi disconnects. JoinNow MultiOS allows end-users on unmanaged devices to securely access critical network resources by enrolling them for digital certificates. The solution offers a strong foundation for passwordless security by using digital certificates for authentication. This improves overall network security and stops Wi-Fi disconnections due to password-related problems.

Can I Mitigate Credential Compromise Using 80.21X Onboarding Technology?

Of course. 802.1X by itself greatly enhances network security, and combining it with a passwordless authentication protocol like EAP-TLS improves it even further. However, relying on end-users to configure their own devices to access 802.1X wireless networks is risky. End users have varying technical literacy levels and may miss some steps in configuration.

802.1X onboarding technology like JoinNow MultiOS aims to prevent misconfiguration from occurring. Because it allows end-users to configure their own devices for 802.1X, those end users are able to enjoy the convenience of their own devices and your administrators don’t have to compromise on security. JoinNow MultiOS is a vital option for businesses prioritizing strong security in their network setups because its self-service configuration for passwordless authentication guarantees a strengthened authentication procedure, protects critical data, and provides a proactive defense against credential compromise.