Federation & SSO Protocols

What is Federation and SSO in CIAM?

Federation and Single Sign-On (SSO) define how identity is shared securely across applications, domains, and organizations without requiring users to manage separate credentials for each system.

In CIAM, federation allows a trusted identity provider to authenticate users once and grant access to multiple applications using standardized protocols.

This approach improves user experience while maintaining strong security and centralized identity control.

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What is identity federation in CIAM?

Identity federation in CIAM is the process of establishing trust between identity systems so that authentication can be delegated to a trusted provider.

Instead of creating and managing separate user credentials for each application, identities are verified by a central or external identity provider.

Federation enables seamless access across applications, partners, and ecosystems while keeping credentials protected.

What is OAuth used for in CIAM?

OAuth is used in CIAM for delegated authorization. It allows applications to access protected resources on behalf of a user without exposing the user’s credentials.

OAuth is commonly used to secure APIs, enable third-party integrations, and control access by granting scoped permissions.

What is OpenID Connect (OIDC) used for in CIAM?

OpenID Connect (OIDC) is used in CIAM for user authentication and identity verification.

Built on top of OAuth, OIDC provides a standardized way to authenticate users and deliver identity information to applications.

OIDC is widely used for modern web and mobile authentication flows due to its simplicity, security, and compatibility with APIs.

What is SAML in CIAM?

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is a federation protocol used to exchange authentication and authorization data between identity providers and applications.

It is commonly used in enterprise and legacy environments to enable SSO across internal and partner systems.

While newer systems often adopt OIDC, SAML remains important for integrating with existing enterprise applications.

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What is delegated authorization in CIAM?

Delegated authorization allows a CIAM platform to grant limited access to applications or services on behalf of a user.

Instead of sharing credentials, access is granted using tokens with defined scopes and permissions.

This model improves security and enables fine-grained control over what resources an application can access.

How do federation protocols support API security?

Federation protocols work with token-based security models to protect APIs and backend services.

Access tokens issued through OAuth or OIDC are validated by APIs before allowing requests, ensuring only authorized applications and users can access protected resources.

This approach supports stateless, scalable security across microservices and distributed systems.

When should organizations use OAuth, OIDC, or SAML?

OAuth is best suited for authorization and API access. OIDC is preferred for modern user authentication and identity verification. SAML is commonly used when integrating with existing enterprise or legacy systems.

CIAM platforms like LoginRadius often support all three to ensure compatibility across modern and legacy architectures.

Why are federation and SSO critical for modern CIAM architectures?

Modern digital ecosystems include multiple applications, APIs, partners, and platforms.

Federation and SSO reduce friction for users while allowing organizations to centralize identity control and enforce consistent security policies.

By relying on standards-based protocols, CIAM platforms remain flexible, interoperable, and future-proof as architectures evolve.

Does LoginRadius support federation and SSO protocols?

Yes. LoginRadius supports standards-based federation and SSO using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML.

These capabilities enable organizations to secure authentication, delegated authorization, and APIs across applications, services, and partner ecosystems.

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