- On this page
- What is Single Sign-on (SSO)?
- Single Sign-On Process with Federation Services
- Benefits of Single Sign-On for Businesses
- What is Federated Identity Management (FIM)?
- What Are Federation Services in SSO?
- Use Cases of Federated Single Sign On (SSO)
- Why Should You Ensure Federated Single Sign On Services for Your Business?
- SSO vs Federated Identity: What’s the Difference?
Majority of the online activities these days requires identity authentication to access to apps and services. User credentials and logins can be found everywhere, from apps to hardware to websites. An authentication method is required to verify a user's identity online and to confirm entitlements so that privileged access can be executed. This also serves as a first layer of security, limiting access to sensitive data for individuals who have been granted by the organization. On the other hand, providing users with seamless access to multiple applications is also important to increase user satisfactions. Such a feature can be integrated in your authentication process by adopting tools like Federal Identity Management (FIM) or Single Sign-On (SSO). How could these two approaches help your organization? What is the difference between them? This article will provide you with a better overview on these two authentication services
What is Single Sign-on (SSO)?
Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication method that allows a user to securely authenticate access to various apps and websites with just one set of login credentials (for example, an ID and password). Enterprises, small businesses, and individuals can utilize SSO to simplify the maintenance of multiple users and passwords. For example, SSO can make provisioning and managing employee credentials easier in Business to Employee (B2E) environments. Employees may log in once and obtain access to everything they need instead of keeping track of credentials for each service. It's also much easier to deprovision a single account if an employee leaves the company.
Similarly, clients frequently use a single corporate account or gateway to access several services or apps. Singpass account is a good example. After your apps’ Singpass integration, your users access multiple governmental digital services without requiring a separate account for each.
Single Sign-On Process with Federation ServicesSingle sign-on (SSO) simplifies the authentication process, allowing users to access multiple applications with just one set of login credentials. Here’s how it works:
User Authentication
The user provides their login credentials (typically a username and password) only once, and only to a trusted Identity Provider (IdP). This centralizes the login process and avoids repeated sign-ins across services, reducing the attack surface for credentials theft.
Token Generation
Once the credentials are verified, the IdP creates a cryptographically signed token (e.g., SAML, JWT, or OAuth token). This token encapsulates the user’s identity, session details, and possibly their permissions.
Token Validation
Whenever the user tries to access a new application (called a "Service Provider" or SP), the token is automatically forwarded. The application contacts the IdP or validates the token using a public key or shared secret to confirm its legitimacy.
Access Granted:
Once the token is verified, access is instantly granted. The user is now inside the app without any extra login prompt – total seamlessness.
With single sign-on federation services, this process extends beyond internal systems, enabling secure access across different organizations and trusted third-party services.
Benefits of Single Sign-On for Businesses
Simplifying authentication while strengthening security, single sign on federation services enable organizations to centralize access, improve user convenience, and reduce IT overhead. Here’s how SSO can transform your authentication strategy:
Centralized Access Control
With SSO, businesses can manage user access across all applications from one central location. This simplifies user management and ensures that access policies are consistently enforced.
Reduced Password Fatigue
SSO minimizes the need for users to remember multiple passwords, reducing the likelihood of weak password practices and enhancing overall security.
Lower IT Cost
By decreasing the number of password-related help desk requests, SSO can reduce IT costs and free up valuable IT resources for more critical tasks.
Increased Productivity
SSO allows users to log in quickly and efficiently, reducing downtime caused by forgotten passwords and improving overall workplace productivity.
Enhanced Security
By limiting the number of login credentials users need to manage, SSO reduces potential attack surfaces, lowering the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
What is Federated Identity Management (FIM)?
Federated identity management (FIM) is a collaboration between many organizations or domains that allows users to access all of their networks with the same digital identity. Such collaborations are referred to as trust domains. Each trust domain, sometimes referred to as a Service Provider (SP), manages its own identity. All SPs, on the other hand, are linked by a third-party service that keeps users' access credentials and provides the trust mechanism required for FIM to run. The identity provider (IdP), which may be an entity like Google, Facebook, or even Singpass, is that third-party service.
What Are Federation Services in SSO?
Employees may use their single Singpass credential to log in to several SP’s apps integrated with Singpass, such as Salesforce or Skype. The SP and IdP exchange information so that the user may be authenticated and given access to the applications/services. Standard protocols can be used to establish FIM, including (but not limited to) the following:
SAML
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) allows for the secure exchange of authentication and authorization data between parties—especially between an identity provider and a service provider.
WS-Federation
WS-Federation is a protocol used to enable identity federation across web services, allowing systems to share identity information in a secure manner.
OAuth2
OAuth2 is an authorization framework that lets applications obtain limited access to user accounts on an HTTP service, often used to grant access tokens to third-party services.
OpenID Connect (OIDC)
An identity layer on top of OAuth2, OpenID Connect (OIDC) enables clients to verify a user's identity and obtain basic profile information securely.
Several Proprietary Protocols
In some cases, organizations may adopt proprietary federation protocols tailored to specific platforms or requirements, offering flexibility and custom integration options.
Use Cases of Federated Single Sign On (SSO)
Federated single sign on enables seamless cross-domain authentication and is particularly useful when users need to access multiple services managed by different organizations. Common scenarios include:
Following a merger or acquisition with new users required to be added to the system
Federated SSO allows new employees from acquired entities to use their existing credentials while accessing the parent company’s platforms.
Access to the organization's resources is required by external vendors or distributors
Vendors or partners can be granted secure, temporary access to specific internal systems without needing entirely new user accounts.
Users from commercial identity providers
Organizations can authenticate users via trusted third-party identity providers such as Microsoft or Google, offering flexible access management.
Users with credentials from a government agency
Government contractors and agencies can use federated credentials to access secured portals without duplicating identity records.
Citizens who use a national identification provider's credentials
Public-facing platforms integrated with systems like Singpass allow users to authenticate quickly and securely using familiar credentials.
Access to several services such as Facebook, Google, Singpass and others
Federation services extend access across popular identity providers, supporting broader integration with widely-used applications.
Why Should You Ensure Federated Single Sign On Services for Your Business?
Digital transformation demands your ability to provide users with easy access to all the resources they require, even if those applications and services are hosted outside your firewall and controlled by third parties. FIM can facilitate such requirements, and thus you can:
Enhance security and prevent data breaches
By enabling users to authenticate with a single, strongly secured identity, Federated SSO reduces the chances of weak passwords across multiple platforms. With policies like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) baked into the IdP, users are forced to adopt stricter login hygiene.
Boost employee productivity
Offloading identity management to a centralized IdP means employees spend less time juggling passwords or calling IT for resets. They can switch between systems frictionlessly, enabling smoother workflows and fewer interruptions.
Increase customer loyalty and experience
Providing customers with a single, secure, and consistent login experience across your services and partner platforms increases trust and reduces abandonment.
Reduce expenses and improve IT resource efficiency
By consolidating access points, businesses eliminate the need for multiple login portals, redundant identity stores, and repetitive authentication flows. This translates to lower infrastructure and maintenance costs.
SSO vs Federated Identity: What’s the Difference?
Although SSO is a key part of FIM, the terms are not interchangeable. The most significant distinction between Identity Federation and SSO is the scope of access.
With SSO, users can access numerous systems within a single business using a single set of credentials (a single domain). FIM, on the other hand, allows users to access systems from several federated organizations at the same time. They have access to all the federated group's apps, programs, and networks.
Future-Proof Your Identity Strategy with Single Sign-On Federation Services
Overall, both solutions can positively impact on your IT security and business aspects as they are time-saving and have highly-secure user authentication process. Successfully enabling authentication services of SSO and FIM for app integration like Singpass is one of our capabilities in enhancing overall cybersecurity postures of various organizations without trading-off user experience. Adnovum will support you in designing and implementing SSO and FIM services based on your business requirements and objectives.
Speak to our experts to learn how to leverage the SSO and FIM for your organization today.
