What is Just-in-Time (JIT) Provisioning?

The concept of just-in-time (JIT) provisioning refers to the process of creating a user account in an application or system at the moment of user authentication if the account does not already exist. This article will provide an overview of how the JIT provisioning process works as well as address the benefits and considerations. 

So, how does it work?  When a user seeks to connect to an application, the Identity Provider (IdP) sends a SAML assertion to the Service Provider (SP). If a user is recognized, they are granted access. If not, a new account is generated instantaneously.

Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning in the context of the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) simplifies the process of creating and granting user access. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how JIT provisioning generally works with SAML: 

1. Initial login: A user tries to access a service provider (SP), but an account does not exist for that user. 

2. SAML authentication: The service provider redirects the user to the identity provider (IdP) to authenticate. The user then logs in to the IdP. 

3. SAML assertion: Upon successful authentication, the IdP sends a SAML assertion back to the service provider. This assertion contains the user's attributes like their name, email, roles, or any other necessary information. 

4. Account creation: The service provider checks if there's an existing account for the user. If not, it uses the information from the SAML assertion to automatically create a new user account. 

5. Access granted: The user gains access to the service using their newly created account.  

Just-in-time provisioning benefits

Automating the account creation process relieves your IT operations personnel of the strain of the manual creation of accounts. Instead of responding to queries about mundane activities such as account creation or forgotten passwords, JIT provisioning allows them to focus on more demanding initiatives.  

Efficiency and cost savings

Automated account creation: JIT provisioning automates the process of establishing user accounts as they are required, minimizing administrative strain on IT workers and removing the need for manual account configuration. By providing accounts only when needed, organizations may improve resource utilization, ensuring that IT resources are deployed efficiently. 

Improved user experience

Seamless onboarding: Users may access required services immediately after their initial login attempt, resulting in a more efficient and speedier onboarding process. This improves the overall user experience by decreasing delays and friction. 

Single sign-on (SSO) integration: JIT provisioning integrates with SSO systems, allowing users to access different services with a single set of credentials, simplifying their engagement with the organization's digital resources.  

Enhanced security

Reduced attack surface: By providing accounts just as needed, JIT provisioning decreases the number of inactive accounts that may be potential targets for cyberattacks, lowering the total attack surface.  

Up-to-date access controls: JIT provisioning guarantees that user access rights are provided using the most recent information, lowering the risk of obsolete or inaccurate access permissions.  

Just-in-time provisioning challenges

Organizations adopting just-in-time provisioning have factors to take into consideration. Creating, updating, and deactivating user accounts necessitates ongoing management to minimize redundancy and ensure that unwarranted access to resources is swiftly deleted. However, it's important to highlight that just-in-time (JIT) provisioning primarily focuses on the creation of accounts and does not automatically handle the removal of accounts when users leave an organization. This lack of automated deprovisioning can lead to security risks if accounts are not deactivated promptly, leaving former employees with potentially harmful access to sensitive resources. Therefore, organizations must implement additional processes or tools to manage the deprovisioning of user accounts effectively.