IdPs

In a federation flow, IdPs play a pivotal role in facilitating secure and streamlined authentication and authorization across multiple services or domains. Google, Microsoft Azure AD, Okta, OneLogin, Ping Identity, and Salesforce Identity are all notable examples of IdPs.

The user initiates the authentication process by accessing a service in one domain. The service, acting as an SP, recognizes the need for authentication and redirects the user to the designated IdP. The IdP authenticates the user, often by validating their credentials through a username and password, MFA, or other secure means. Once authenticated, the IdP generates a security token or assertion that vouches for the user’s identity. The token contains information about the user (claims) and the authentication event. Common token formats include Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) assertions or JWTs.

The user is redirected back to the original service (SP) with the issued token. The SP can then...