Government agencies increasingly rely on shared mobile devices to support mission-critical operations from field inspections to emergency response. However, managing secure authentication while maintaining efficiency has been an ongoing challenge. Samsung’s Knox Suite includes Knox Authentication Manager, which addresses this critical need with an innovative combination of security and convenience that creates a seamless and secure user experience for shared device environments.¹

The authentication challenge in government operations

Federal civilian agencies and state and local governments frequently deploy shared device pools to maximize resource efficiency. With traditional authentication methods, agency personnel accessing sensitive data often experience bottlenecks during shift changes due to a need to manually enter credentials multiple times for various apps at the start of each shift. This not only wastes valuable time but can also lead to security compromises if users take shortcuts to avoid inconvenient and repeated sign-ins.

Introducing Knox Authentication Manager

Knox Authentication Manager revolutionizes shared device authentication by providing a managed, Android autofill service specifically designed for fully managed Samsung devices. The solution combines facial biometrics with secure credential management to deliver three key benefits particularly relevant for government operations:

• Streamlined authentication: Users can quickly access their work environment using facial recognition or PIN authentication, eliminating the need for repeated manual sign-ins.
• Secure credential management: Knox Authentication Manager securely saves and automatically fills user credentials for enterprise and web applications, maintaining security while reducing authentication friction.
• Seamless profile syncing: Users can enroll once and access their profile on any authorized shared device, with no cloud storage of sensitive data.

How it works in government environments

Knox Authentication Manager integrates with existing Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions and Microsoft Entra ID to capture enterprise credentials during initial user registration. Agency administrators can choose from three authentication methods that align with their security requirements:

• PIN-only authentication
• Combined PIN and facial recognition
• Traditional manual sign-in

Once registered, users can authorize Knox Authentication Manager to save credentials for supported productivity and web apps. When they begin their shift, a single authentication grants access to all saved applications — dramatically reducing time spent on sign-ins while maintaining security protocols.

Enterprise-grade security by design

Security remains paramount in government environments. Knox Authentication Manager ‘s profile sync technology protects sensitive data by using secure

point-to-point synchronization for device access through administrator-defined device groups typically mapped to specific facilities or departments. Credentials are synchronized directly between devices over secure Wi-Fi connections, eliminating the need for cloud storage.

Knox Authentication Manager in action: seasonal field operations

Consider a hypothetical agency’s seasonal field operations, where teams of researchers and field workers collect environmental data across vast territories. Using rugged Galaxy Tab Active series tablets from shared device pools, these workers gather critical information about natural resources, conduct surveys and update geographic information systems. Without an authentication management solution designed for shared device environments, they face several challenges:

• Seasonal workers spend nearly 10 minutes at the start of each day just logging into multiple required applications. Because this process is so inconvenient, there are concerns that employees are finding workarounds like sharing passwords or reusing passwords across multiple apps that may be creating security gaps.
• Field supervisors manage hundreds of shared credentials across multiple locations.
• Device sharing between rotating seasonal staff is creating frequent password reset requests.
• IT teams continuously struggle with account security and access management for temporary workers.

This process reimagined with Knox Authentication Manager:

• Morning device check-out and authentication time takes under one minute.
• Biometric authentication eliminates the need for password sharing between rotating staff.
• Password reset tickets decrease during peak seasonal operations.
• Field workers maintain seamless access to data collection apps throughout their shifts.
• Secure profile syncing allows workers to easily switch between devices across different field stations.

While this example is hypothetical, it illustrates that Knox Authentication Manager is particularly effective for agencies with seasonal employment. With Knox Authentication Manager, agencies can efficiently provide hundreds of temporary workers with reliable, secure access to shared devices during peak seasons, even when operating across remote locations.

Beyond government: additional use cases

While designed with government security requirements in mind, Knox Authentication Manager ‘s benefits extend to other regulated industries:

• Healthcare providers managing shared tablets for patient care
• Logistics operations coordinating field personnel across multiple shifts
• Critical infrastructure organizations requiring secure, efficient device sharing

The bottom line

For government agencies managing shared mobile devices, Knox Authentication Manager delivers significant benefits:

• Enhanced compliance with federal security mandates
• Reduced authentication time during shift changes
• Improved security through proper credential managementSeamless access to work environments across multiple devices
• No cloud storage of sensitive authentication data

As government organizations continue to optimize their mobile workflows while meeting strict security requirements, solutions like Knox Authentication Manager demonstrate Samsung’s commitment to supporting mission-critical operations through innovative yet practical technology.

Learn more about Knox Authentication Manager and other Samsung Knox solutions or explore more of Samsung’s innovative mobility solutions for government.

¹ Knox Authentication Manager requires Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 11 or later with Knox 3.7+. Some features may require specific Knox licenses and UEM/EMM compatibility.