What is Single Sign-On (SSO)? Everything You Need to Know

Introduction

Single sign-on (SSO) is the most common and popular authentication feature in modern web applications. Instead of requiring users to remember and enter separate usernames and passwords for each application, SSO enables them to log in once and gain access to multiple resources seamlessly.

When a user attempts to access a protected resource using the login credentials, the resource requests authentication from the IDP (identity provider). The IdP verifies the user’s identity and, if successful, generates a security token or session cookie. This token is then used to provide access to the requested resource without requiring further authentication.

SSO implementations can vary, with different protocols and technologies employed, such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), OpenID Connect, or OAuth. These protocols enable secure communication between the identity provider and the applications, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of user authentication data.

How does SSO work?

SSO (Single Sign-on) is a user authentication method that allows users to do authentication with multiple applications using a single set of credentials. Users can log in once into the system and gain access to all the authorized resources without the need for additional authentication.

Here’s a simplified explanation of how SSO typically works:

1. User initiates the login: When a user tries to log in to a protected resource or application, they are redirected to an SSO system or identity provider (IdP). The user is prompted to enter their login credentials (username and password).

2. Authentication request: The application or service the user is trying to access sends an authentication request to the SSO system or IdP, along with the user’s credentials.

3. User authentication: The SSO system checks and verifies the user’s credentials by checking against its user database or by communicating with an authentication server. If the certificates are valid, then the SSO system generates a token or a session ID to represent the correct user.

4. Token exchange: The SSO system sends the token or session identifier back to the requesting application or service. This token or session ID serves as proof of authentication.

5. Access grant: The application or service receives the token and validates it with the SSO system or IDP. If the token is valid, the application grants access to the user based on the identity provided by the SSO system.

6. Seamless access: Once the user is authenticated, they can navigate between different applications or services seamlessly without needing to provide their credentials again. The SSO system handles the authentication process in the background, allowing the user to access authorized resources without further interaction.

What are Single Sign-On components?

Single Sign-On (SSO) is a feature that is used for user verification in multiple applications or systems using single login credentials. Google, Facebook, and ADFS are some of the most popular SSO services available, and they allow users to register and log in in no time.

The components involved in implementing SSO typically include the following:

1. Identity Provider (IdP): The IdP is the central authority responsible for authenticating users and providing them with access tokens or assertions that prove their identity. It manages user identities and credentials and serves as the trusted source of authentication.

2. Service Provider (SP): The SP is the application or system that relies on the IDP for user authentication. It consumes the authentication tokens or assertions issued by the IdP to grant users access without requiring them to enter their credentials.

3. User Store: The user store is the repository where user information, such as usernames, passwords, and other attributes, is stored. The IdP typically maintains this user store, which can be a directory service (e.g., Active Directory, LDAP) or a database.

4. Authentication Protocols: SSO implementations use various authentication protocols to facilitate communication between the IdP and SP. Some common protocols include Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), OpenID Connect, and OAuth. These protocols define the format and exchange of authentication information.

5. Identity Federation: SSO often involves identity federation, which allows users from different organizations or domains to access shared resources. Identity federation establishes trust relationships between different IDps and enables seamless authentication and authorization across organizational boundaries.

6. Single Logout: Single Logout is a feature of SSO that allows users to log out from all the applications or systems they have accessed with a single action. When the user initiates logout, the IdP notifies the relevant SPs to terminate the user’s session.

7. User Interface: SSO typically requires a user interface that prompts users to enter their credentials or select their identity provider when accessing an application or system. This interface may be a login page or a pop-up window, depending on the implementation.

These components work together to provide a seamless and secure authentication experience for users across multiple applications, reducing the need for multiple usernames and passwords while maintaining security and control over user access.

What are the Key factors of SSO?

There are several key factors that contribute to the effectiveness and functionality of SSO:

1. Authentication: SSO relies on a robust authentication mechanism to verify the user’s identity. This can be achieved through various methods such as passwords, biometrics, smart cards, or two-factor authentication (2FA). The chosen authentication method should be secure and aligned with the organization’s security requirements.

2. Security and Trust: SSO systems must ensure strong security measures to protect user identities and sensitive information. This includes secure transmission of authentication tokens, encryption of data, secure storage of user credentials, and adherence to relevant security standards and protocols.

3. Federation Protocols: SSO relies on federation protocols to enable communication and trust between the IdP and the relying applications. Popular federation protocols include SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), OpenID Connect, and OAuth. These protocols facilitate the exchange of authentication information and enable seamless authentication across different systems.

4. Single Logout: SSO should provide a mechanism for single logout, allowing users to terminate their sessions across multiple applications with a single action. This ensures that users’ sessions are completely closed when they log out from one application or when their session expires.

5. User Experience: SSO aims to enhance the user experience by reducing the need for multiple logins and remembering multiple sets of credentials. A good SSO implementation should provide a seamless and intuitive user experience, minimizing any disruptions during the authentication process.

6. Scalability and Compatibility: SSO solutions should be designed to handle a large number of users and work across different platforms, operating systems, and browsers. They should be compatible with a wide range of applications and systems, both on-premises and in the cloud.

7. Administration and Management: SSO systems should offer robust administrative capabilities, allowing administrators to manage user identities, access privileges, and policies effectively. This includes features like user provisioning, access control, and auditing capabilities.

8. Compliance and Standards: SSO implementations should comply with relevant industry standards and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Compliance with these standards ensures that sensitive data is handled securely and privacy requirements are met.

9. Integration and Extensibility: SSO systems should be easily integrated with existing authentication infrastructure and applications. They should provide APIs and integration options to enable customization and extensibility to meet specific business requirements.

These key factors contribute to the overall effectiveness, security, and usability of an SSO solution, allowing organizations to streamline authentication processes and provide a seamless user experience across multiple applications.

Security and Compliance Benefits of SSO

Single Sign-On (SSO) offers several security and compliance benefits for organizations. Here are some key advantages:

1. Enhanced Password Security: With SSO, users need to remember and manage only one set of login credentials. This reduces the likelihood of weak or reused passwords. Stronger passwords can be enforced, minimizing the risk of password-related vulnerabilities.

2. Reduced Credential Exposure: SSO reduces the number of times users need to enter their credentials, minimizing the potential for credentials to be intercepted or compromised through keyloggers, phishing attacks, or other methods.

3. Centralized Access Control: SSO provides centralized access control, allowing administrators to manage user access to multiple applications from a single point. This simplifies user provisioning and de-provisioning, making it easier to enforce access policies and revoke access when necessary.

4. Improved User Experience: SSO simplifies the authentication process for users, enabling them to access multiple applications seamlessly without repeatedly entering credentials. This enhances productivity and reduces the frustration associated with managing numerous usernames and passwords.

5. Stronger Authentication Methods: SSO can integrate with additional authentication factors such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, or smart cards, providing an extra layer of security beyond just username and password. This strengthens the overall security posture of the organization.

6. Auditing and Monitoring: SSO solutions typically provide centralized logging and monitoring capabilities, enabling administrators to track user access and activities across various applications. This facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements and simplifies auditing processes.

7. Policy Enforcement: SSO enables organizations to enforce security policies consistently across multiple applications. Policies such as password complexity, session timeouts, and access control can be centrally managed and enforced, reducing the risk of non-compliance and security gaps.

8. Simplified Compliance Reporting: SSO solutions can generate reports on user access, authentication events, and other relevant security data. These reports aid in compliance reporting by providing a centralized view of user activity and access control measures.

9. Rapid User Deprovisioning: When an employee leaves the organization or changes roles, SSO simplifies the process of revoking access to multiple applications. By disabling the user’s SSO account, access to all associated applications can be immediately terminated, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Overall, SSO enhances security by reducing the attack surface, strengthening authentication methods, centralizing access control, and enabling better compliance management. It streamlines user access and authentication processes while maintaining a higher level of security and regulatory compliance.

How is SSO implemented?

Single Sign-On (SSO) is implemented using various protocols and technologies. The specific implementation details may vary depending on the systems and applications involved, we will implement SSO using Google in the Angular web app:

• Create a new Angular app

• Go inside the newly created app

• Install bootstrap or material UI

• Create a Google client id

• Install Angular social login package

• Import the social login package and provide the client id

• Integrate the google social login in Angular

• Run the Angular application

1. Create a new Angular app:

ng new ng-demo-app

2. Go inside the newly created app

cd ng-demo-app

3. Install Bootstrap UI

npm i bootstrap

→ Next, place the Bootstrap module CSS path in the styles array:

“styles”: [
“node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css”,
“src/styles.scss”]

4. Create Google client id

a. Goto Google developer console and log in with your google account

https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/dashboard

b. Read the terms and conditions carefully and then click on the continue button

c. Create a new fresh project, define the project name and fill in the other required details with all similarly shown in the given image.

APIs & Services → Enabled APIs & services

d. After creating the project you will see the dashboard. select the OAuth consent screen inside the APIs & Services. Here you can see two options

■ Internal (Only available to users within your organization)

■ external (available for every users)

e. On the next page you have some details regarding your application and you need to define the site or privacy policy URL (For now, I am using http://localhost:4200 because I am running my project on the local server.)

f. On the next page, you can define your scopes. You can leave it blank for now

g. On the next page, you can add your testing team account for testing purposes. You can save all the details

h. Now you have to create an OAuth client ID and for that, you have to follow the below screenshot:

APIs & Services -> Credentials -> Create Credentials

I. On the next screen select application type as a web application or as per your requirements. Right after, provide the app name, and define your URL app under the Authorized JavaScript origins options.

■ For instance, we are working on localhost; consequently, we defined the localhost URL

j. OAuth client id is created. from here you can copy your client ID or client secret.

5. Install Angular social login package

npm i @abacritt/Angularx-social-login

6. Import the social login package and provide the client id

So here I imported GoogleLoginProvider from the ‘Angularx-social-login’ npm package.

Also, you have to inject a Google client inside the GoogleLoginProvider() provider.

7. Integrate the Google social login in Angular

Now we will do the most important task of this tutorial. We will implement Google social login in the Angular web app.

Inside the app.component.html template file add the following code.

Open and update the app.component.ts template.

8. Run Angular Application

Ng serve

What are the Types of SSO configurations?

Single Sign-On (SSO) configurations can vary depending on the specific implementation and technologies used. Here are some common types of SSO configurations:

1. Web Browser SSO: This type of SSO allows users to sign in once and access multiple web applications without needing to provide credentials again. It relies on technologies such as cookies, tokens, or session management to authenticate and authorize users across multiple applications.

2. Service Provider (SP) Initiated SSO: In this scenario, the user begins the SSO process by accessing a protected resource or application. The application then redirects the user to an identity provider’s login page to authenticate. After successful authentication, the user is redirected back to the application with an authentication token.

3. Mobile SSO: This type of SSO is designed specifically for mobile applications. It allows users to sign in once on their mobile device and automatically gain access to other mobile apps that are part of the SSO ecosystem without requiring additional authentication.

4. Social Media SSO: This configuration allows users to log in to various applications using their social media credentials, such as Facebook, Google, or Twitter. The application relies on the social media platform’s authentication service to verify the user’s identity.

5. Federated SSO: Federated SSO enables users to access resources across different organizations or domains without needing separate credentials for each one. It relies on trust relationships between identity providers and service providers to exchange authentication and authorization information securely.

6. Cross-Domain SSO: This type of SSO enables users to access applications across different domains or subdomains within an organization. It typically involves configuring trust relationships and establishing shared authentication mechanisms between these domains.

7. Important Note: Specific SSO configurations available can depend on the SSO solution or platform being used. Different vendors or technologies may have their own terminology and implementation details.

Advantages and disadvantages of SSO

Single Sign-On (SSO) has several advantages and disadvantages as mentioned below

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