What is SSO?
Single Sign-On (SSO) Explained
Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that allows users to log in once and access multiple applications without having to log in again.
Real-World Example
Think about your experience with Google services:
You log into Gmail with your Google account
You can then access YouTube, Google Drive, Google Photos without entering your password again
All these services recognize that you're already authenticated
This is SSO in action!
What is an Identity Provider (IDP)?
An Identity Provider (IDP) is a system that:
Manages user identities and credentials
Provides authentication services
Issues security tokens to applications
Maintains user profile information
Oten IDP is our identity provider system that enables SSO for your applications.
How SSO Works (Simple Version)
User tries to access any application
Application redirects to Oten IDP
User logs in once at the IDP
IDP confirms identity to all applications
User can access all applications without logging in again
Key Concepts
Authentication vs Authorization
Authentication: "Who are you?" (Proving identity)
Authorization: "What can you do?" (Permissions and access rights)
SSO primarily handles authentication - proving who you are.
Federated Identity
SSO enables federated identity, where:
One identity can be used across multiple systems
Trust relationships exist between applications and the IDP
User data is shared securely between trusted systems
SSO vs Traditional Login
Traditional Login (Without SSO)
App 1: Username + Password
App 2: Username + Password
App 3: Username + Password❌ Multiple passwords to remember ❌ Multiple login processes ❌ Security risks from password reuse
With SSO
Oten IDP: Username + Password
↓
App 1: ✅ Automatically logged in
App 2: ✅ Automatically logged in
App 3: ✅ Automatically logged in✅ One password to remember ✅ Single login process ✅ Enhanced security
Common SSO Protocols
Oten IDP uses industry-standard protocols:
OAuth 2.0: Authorization framework
OpenID Connect (OIDC): Identity layer on top of OAuth 2.0
SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language (for enterprise - coming soon)
Don't worry about the technical details yet - we'll cover these in the developer sections!
Next: Learn about Why Use SSO? to understand the benefits
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