Overview
This lecture covers the concept of Federated Identity Services, focusing on how multiple organizations enable secure authentication and access using shared identity systems.
Introduction to Federated Identity
- Federated Identity allows users to access multiple systems using a single set of credentials.
- Organizations collaborate to recognize each other's authentication processes.
How Federated Identity Works
- Users log in once and can access resources across participating organizations (Single Sign-On, or SSO).
- Identity Providers (IdPs) verify user identities for Service Providers (SPs).
- Trust is established between IdPs and SPs through protocols and agreements.
Key Benefits
- Reduces password fatigue by minimizing the number of credentials users must remember.
- Simplifies user management and improves security for organizations.
- Facilitates collaboration between institutions, especially in education and research.
Common Protocols and Standards
- SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is widely used for exchanging authentication and authorization data.
- OAuth and OpenID Connect are modern protocols for federated authentication, often used for web and mobile applications.
Use Cases in Education
- Universities use federated identity to provide students and staff access to resources from different organizations.
- Example: A CU Boulder student accessing library materials from a partner university using their CU credentials.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Federated Identity — a system where identities are shared across multiple organizations for authentication.
- Single Sign-On (SSO) — the ability for a user to log in once and access multiple systems without re-authenticating.
- Identity Provider (IdP) — the organization or system that authenticates users and vouches for their identity.
- Service Provider (SP) — a system or organization that relies on the Identity Provider to authenticate users.
- SAML — a protocol for exchanging authentication and authorization data between organizations.
- OAuth — an open-standard protocol that allows secure authorization in a simple and standardized way.
- OpenID Connect — an authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 for federated identity.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review course slides on federated identity protocols (SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect).
- Read assigned chapter on federated authentication systems for next class.