Table of Content
- What is SAML authentication?
- What does SAML mean?
- How does SAML work and enable SSO?
- What are the benefits of SAML?
What is SAML authentication?
We've them all by default on our mobiles; Google apps- Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, etc. We know that each of these three have their own distinct purpose, and let's be honest, can we really live without either of them? A no would be an unrealistic and a delusional answer, unless you're 8 years old.
You need them all, but logging in every time you open one of the apps can be tiring, especially when you're using more than one at once. Thank God one of us made a prayer; all you need now is your email ID to log in to Google and you can access all the apps under that boat.
You can leverage this cakewalk, for this one-time signing in to access apps doesn't just stop with Google. Oh wait, there's the cherry on the cake- You can leverage this process while having your account and data secure, keeping all sorts of threats and attacks at bay. (We will get to the how, in a while)
All of this is quite a piece of cake, but it's only human to take a moment to appreciate what did the cooking. (P.S: Have to say, It cooked, ate, and left no crumbs). Probably an exaggeration, but (Drum-rolls) SAML did the job of saving us time, sweat, and tears.
What does SAML mean?
SAML stands for Security Assertion Markup Language and is an open standard to exchange authorization and authentication between parties, mainly between an identity provider and service provider. Here are a few things you need to know before understanding the authentication process:
- Identity Provider (IdP): The entity that authenticates you and provides your identity information to service providers. It is responsible for verifying your credentials and issuing SAML assertions.
- Service Provider (SP): Provides services to you (users) and relies on the IdP for authentication.
- SAML Assertions: These are XML documents that contain statements about a user, including authentication, attribute, and authorization information. Assertions are the medium through which the IdP communicates user identity and attributes to the SP.
- SAML Protocols: They are a set of rules defining how SAML assertions are exchanged between IdPs and SPs. Some common protocols include the Authentication Request Protocol (ARP) and the Single Logout Protocol (SLP).
- Bindings: The methods by which messages are transmitted between parties. Common bindings include HTTP Redirect, HTTP POST, and SOAP.
How does SAML work and enable SSO?
SAML provides a standardized framework for secure authentication and authorization between identity providers (IdPs) and service providers (SPs) to enable SSO. Here's how it does so:
When you attempt to access a service, the SP redirects you to the IdP for authentication.
Here, the IdP is the entity that checks who you are and requires you to log in with your credentials( username and password, a biometric scan, or any authentication factor) once at the IdP and generates a SAML assertion and transmits it to the SP to indicate that you are verified and trusted by the IdP.
Now, the SP is the website or application you're trying to access which verifies the SAML assertion through a digital signature to ensure it has come from a valid and trusted IdP. Once verified and authenticated, you will be granted access to the service/s or application/s without requiring your credentials again.
Once a user is authenticated by the IdP, all SAML-enabled SPs trust this authentication, allowing seamless access to multiple applications without requiring additional logins.
What are the benefits of SAML?
A major benefit of SAML is not having to remember multiple credentials to log in to multiple accounts since all you need is a single set of credentials to access multiple accounts. However, there's more to what SAML can offer. The pros include:
Improved security
Firstly, SAML centralizes the authentication process at a secure IdP. This centralization means that your credentials are only transmitted once once by the IdP, which also reduces the risk of exposure.
The IdP is the singular point of authentication which allows for security measures to be enforced in one place. With this approach, SPs do not have the need to store or manage your credentials. If an SP gets compromised, your credentials still remain safe with the IdP.
Here's the cherry on top- SAML assertions are usually signed and encrypted, thus also ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the authenticated information during transmission of the assertion.
Reduced administrative costs
SAML simplifies managing user authentication and access across multiple platforms and with that, you can say goodbye to the need to log into multiple accounts with multiple credentials. This not only reduces the need to maintain numerous credentials, but it also decreases the probability of password related issues. A good and common example would be forgotten passwords. Who does not forget them, duh?
Another advantage- SAML enables SSO and we know it eliminates the instance of forgotten passwords, it reduces the burden on IT help desks.
And another advantage- it enables you to make use of existing identity management systems. Why is that good? It eliminates the development and maintenance costs concerning authentication solutions. SAML can also decouple user directories- Your information does not have to be synchronized across multiple systems. With this, you can avoid all the administrative complexity along with potential errors. Good riddance, we can all sleep well now.
Standardization and customization
SAML acts like a common language that different systems can understand while communicating user identities. This standardization means that if your system supports SAML, it can communicate with other systems regardless of the type of system or application you're using. It's quite like how you can plug numerous devices into USB ports. Convenient, right?
Apart from providing a standard way of communication, SAML also enables customization, like adding or modifying the authentication according to your specific needs. Here, you can have additional attributes about users or tailor how the authentication process should work to suit your requirements.
Compliance and auditing
Regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA mandate secure handling of personal information. SAML provides secure, standardized authentication methods that align with the requirements. As discussed, it strengthens security through encryption and digital signatures, securing sensitive user data during authentication processes. Now, this enforces compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA, which mandate secure handling of personal information.
We also know that SAML enables Single Sign-On (SSO), reducing the number of credentials you need to log in to different services while also minimizing the risk of password theft. This is essential for compliance with access control necessities in regulations like PCI DSS and SOX, which mandate secure and limited access to sensitive systems.
As discussed, SAML centralizes authentication through the identity provider to simplify tracking and logging of user activity. Audit trails are supported with this, and this is necessary to comply with regulations such as SOX and HIPAA that mandate organizations to maintain records of activities like who accessed resources or data and when they did so.
SAML also supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) through a flexible framework that can accommodate additional authentication factors. How so? It makes use of extensible assertions to add attributes for different authentication factors. It also has role-based access control capabilities that enforce least privilege, which ensures only required resources are accessed. Now this, supports compliance with frameworks such as NIST 800-53 and ISO 27001.
Platform neutrality
With the concept of platform neutrality, the aim is to have a platform treat all its users, content, and services equally- no bias, strictly. How does SAML enable this in authentication? It provides a standardized, XML-based framework to exchange information across various systems. With this approach, SAML works without depending on specific platforms, making it compatible with different systems.
This also allows organizations to implement SSO across different environments (cloud services, on-premises apps) as well as manage identities across the same. It's like a coffee machine that can brew different kinds of coffee. Who wouldn't say no to that?
Conclusion
To wrap it up, SAML centralizes authentication and by doing so, takes quite a lot of load from your shoulders- It decreases administrative overhead, administrative costs while also ensuring compliance. Not to mention, it keeps threats and attacks at bay,