How FranklinCovey unified identity security for a remote‑first workforce

FranklinCovey implemented 1Password Unified Access to strengthen security across its global, remote-first workforce, and bring identity security and access management together in one platform. Now, FranklinCovey has greater visibility and control across its environment, 100% password manager adoption, simpler admin workflows, and a more secure way for employees to access secrets from anywhere.

Outcomes

• Adoption: 100% adoption of Enterprise Password Manager

• Operational efficiency: More than 371 hours of manual support saved and $6,120 in annual savings from reclaimed Zoom licenses

• Security posture: Strengthened protection against credential theft and account compromise

• Visibility: Improved visibility into SaaS and AI usage to identify and address emerging risks

Creating a stronger foundation for identity security

FranklinCovey’s workforce spans the globe, and its employees need reliable access to hundreds of business applications from wherever they work. While that flexibility boosts productivity, it also increases the complexity of securing identities, credentials, devices, and SaaS applications.

For years, there was no consistent approach to password management across the organization. IT teams and developers used a legacy enterprise password manager, while other employees stored work credentials in their browsers’ built-in password managers, or used personal password managers. This fragmented approach limited visibility into password health. It also made it difficult to identify and fix weak or compromised credentials and left many employees outside the organization’s security controls.

For a lean security team supporting approximately 1,300 employees, manually driving password manager adoption and enforcing consistent security practices at scale was no longer sustainable. Organization-wide enrollment had stalled at 60%, and closing the gap would have required months of manual follow-up with employees.

The situation came to a head when an employee’s personal device was infected with infostealer malware, exposing work credentials stored in their browser’s built-in password manager. At the same time, FranklinCovey’s security team was contending with the growing use of personal devices and unsanctioned SaaS and AI applications, with no central way to govern how those tools were being used.

FranklinCovey needed a way to surface unsanctioned SaaS usage, identify at-risk credentials, and roll out an enterprise password manager that employees would actually use. It also needed to verify that employees were accessing company resources from secure, trusted devices. And crucially, any solution had to be one that their lean security team could roll out with minimal manual follow-up.

Replacing point solutions with a unified approach

FranklinCovey chose 1Password Unified Access to replace fragmented security tools with a platform that combines identity, device trust, and SaaS governance. Now, the security team can better protect business resources while giving employees a simple, secure way to access the applications they need.

Enterprise Password Manager

The organization integrated 1Password Enterprise Password Manager with Okta to streamline user provisioning and authentication. Connecting the two simplified the rollout and allows employees to unlock 1Password using their familiar SSO credentials. Automated Device Trust checks, combined with a two-month grace period, then helped FranklinCovey move from 60% enrollment to 100% adoption without months of manual follow-up. 1Password’s Secret Key architecture also provides an added layer of protection beyond traditional password managers, helping safeguard credentials even if a user’s password is compromised.

Device Trust

1Password Device Trust extends critical protections to the devices employees use for work. Before granting employees access to critical applications, FranklinCovey can verify that they are using known, healthy devices that meet its security requirements. Device Trust also helped drive password manager adoption by confirming that employees had installed the browser extension. Today, 89% of devices meet FranklinCovey’s security posture requirements.

SaaS Manager

SaaS Manager gives FranklinCovey visibility into the applications employees are using, including unsanctioned SaaS and AI tools. When the security team discovers a new application, it can determine how to secure access, whether through SSO or strong credentials managed in 1Password. The company is also using this insight to optimize software usage. For example, the team created a workflow to identify underutilized Zoom licenses and alert the Zoom administrator, who can revoke or retain the license directly from the notification. To date, this workflow has helped FranklinCovey reclaim 36 Zoom licenses, representing 11% of licenses reviewed and approximately $6,120 in annual savings.

We think of our approach to security as a three-legged stool, bringing together identity, trusted devices, and applications. With 1Password, we’re able to manage all three in a much simpler way.

Blaine Carter
Global Chief Information Officer, FranklinCovey

Turning complete visibility into stronger protection

1Password has simultaneously made FranklinCovey more secure and more efficient. Password manager adoption quickly reached 100%, representing a 40% increase over its previous solution. This eliminated months of manual, time-consuming reminders.

SaaS Manager helps FranklinCovey address the use of shadow IT and AI. The security team can see when employees are using unsanctioned applications, including AI tools, and whether that usage is happening through a browser or desktop application. These insights help the company identify where existing controls are falling short and steer employees toward approved tools, giving the organization greater confidence that its security policies are working as intended. To date, FranklinCovey has discovered more than 600 shadow IT and AI apps with 1Password. Employees, meanwhile, can securely access the applications they need without slowing down. IT has greater confidence that security policies are being applied consistently.

1Password Watchtower gives the security team a central view of password health, allowing it to spot and address weak, reused, or compromised credentials across the organization. Streamlining administrative tasks has saved the security team more than 371 hours in manual support, enabling them to spend more time strengthening other areas of FranklinCovey’s security posture.

A case in point came when an attacker impersonated an employee and convinced the external help desk to reset the employee’s password. The attacker then registered a new device, which the help desk initially approved. But Device Trust provided another layer of protection, resulting in the device failing one of FranklinCovey’s security checks and preventing the attack from progressing. The incident demonstrated the value of a defense-in-depth approach in a real-world scenario, and prompted FranklinCovey to strengthen its processes for approving new devices.

1Password has given us defense in depth. There are multiple layers working together to protect our users and our business.

Ryan Berckmoes
Security Engineer, FranklinCovey

Looking ahead, FranklinCovey plans to build on its existing visibility as AI becomes a bigger part of how employees work. DeviceTrust Insights and SaaS Manager can help the security team discover emerging AI usage, identify unsanctioned tools, and use that visibility to strengthen guardrails around how employees use AI. In an increasingly agentic world, these capabilities will help FranklinCovey maintain visibility and control as both people and AI agents access applications and data.

Security is never static, and neither are the threats we’re protecting against. As our environment continues to evolve, 1Password gives us confidence that we have the right foundation to adapt and stay ahead.

Ryan Berckmoes
Security Engineer, FranklinCovey