Single Sign-On (SSO) is a mechanism that allows users to authenticate once and then gain access to multiple systems or applications without the need to re-enter their credentials. SSO has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the growth of cloud computing and the need for users to access resources across different platforms and environments. In this blog post, we will explore different methods used in SSO.
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)
SAML is an XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties. In SSO, SAML is used to establish trust between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP), and to transfer user authentication information between them. SAML is widely used in enterprise environments and is supported by many identity and access management (IAM) solutions.
OAuth (Open Authorization)
OAuth is a standard protocol used to authorize third-party access to a user’s resources without giving them the user’s credentials. OAuth is commonly used in social login scenarios, where users can log in to third-party websites or applications using their existing social media accounts. OAuth can also be used in enterprise environments for SSO, but it requires additional integration with an IAM solution.
OpenID Connect (OIDC)
OIDC is a simple identity layer on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol. It provides authentication and basic user profile information in a JSON format, using a standardized set of endpoints. OIDC is widely used in web applications and is supported by many popular authentication providers.
Kerberos
Kerberos is a network authentication protocol that uses tickets to allow users and services to authenticate with each other securely. Kerberos is commonly used in enterprise environments to provide SSO across Windows-based systems. Kerberos requires integration with an Active Directory (AD) domain controller and may not be suitable for environments that do not use AD.
JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
JWT is a compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties. JWTs can be used for authentication and authorization purposes, and can be used in SSO scenarios to securely transfer user information between systems or applications. JWT is widely used in web applications and is supported by many authentication providers.
In conclusion, there are different methods used in SSO depending on the specific use case, the systems or applications involved, and the security requirements of the environment. SAML, OAuth, OIDC, Kerberos, and JWT are just a few examples of the methods used in SSO. It is important to choose the right method based on the requirements of the environment and to ensure that the method is properly integrated with the IAM solution being used.
