Zoho Directory: User management – Simple, secure, efficient

You can purchase Zoho Directory directly on the website with just a few clicks. Simply visit https://www.zoho.com/de/directory and click on “Prices.” There, you will find an overview of the different pricing plans. Select your preferred plan. If you haven’t created a Zoho account yet, you will need to do so in the next step and then log in to your account. Next, book the license by specifying the desired number of users and choosing between annual or monthly billing. To complete the purchase, pay for the license using your preferred payment method. Once done, you can immediately start managing by inviting users, configuring policies, and connecting apps.

Zoho Directory can be set up and connected to your apps in just a few simple steps.

Step 1: Account creation

Go to Zoho Directory and sign in with your Zoho account.

Step 2: Activation

Once you are logged in, activate Zoho Directory.

Step 3: Manage users

You can add your users directly from the Zoho Directory Dashboard by clicking on “Add User” under the “Users” section and entering their information. It’s important to assign the appropriate role for each user right away. Once done, the users will receive an email invitation to activate their accounts. Alternatively, you can add users in bulk by uploading a prepared CSV file with all the required information.

Step 4: Creating user groups

In the next step, create individual groups under “Groups” and “Create Groups” to assign users permissions to apps or resources by defining roles and access rights for the corresponding systems.

Step 5: Setting up Single Sign-On

Next, integrate Single Sign-On for an efficient login process. This will allow your users to log in to various apps with a single set of credentials. To do this, go to Configure SSO under Apps. Follow the instructions provided to connect the apps and properly configure the SSO.

Step 6: Activation of multi-factor authentication (MFA)

To enhance security for your users and systems, it’s essential to enable multi-factor authentication. To do this, click on “Activate MFA” under Security. MFA provides an additional security layer on top of Single Sign-On. In the settings, you can choose from multiple MFA methods, such as SMS, authenticator apps, or email verification.

Step 7: Synchronization with Active Directory

This step is optional: If you are already using Microsoft Active Directory or Azure AD, you can synchronize Zoho Directory with it. Simply go to AD synchronization and follow the instructions. Once complete, you can import users and groups from your Active Directory.

Step 8: Define access policies and security rules

To design comprehensive access control, you should define access policies to specify which user can access your systems, when, and from which device. To do this, click on “Create Policies” under Access Controls. In the settings, you can define rules for IP-based access control, conditional access, and device management.

Step 9: Reporting and monitoring

For comprehensive monitoring of activities in Zoho Directory and to ensure compliance with all security policies, you should use audit logs and reports. Under the Reports menu, you can select your desired report type at any time and generate your report.

Step 10: User administration

If needed, you can manage user access to various applications and data through Zoho Directory under Access Control. There, you can add apps, define specific access rights, and assign roles and permissions for each app based on the user group.

Step 11: Training and onboarding

Don’t leave your employees in the dark! Provide training resources or conduct sessions to ensure that all teams understand how to log in, use MFA, and how Zoho Directory functions.

Every company should choose their identity and access management tool based on their specific needs. Compared to other competitors, Zoho Directory stands out with its significantly lower price, the ability to integrate with over 100 cloud apps, a strong focus on data privacy, high user-friendliness, and a broad range of features in group management, access policies, and automation. Additionally, the option to integrate Zoho Directory with existing systems like Microsoft AD and Google Workspace provides a strong unique selling point compared to other tools.