Company
Date Published
Author
Alex Brown
Word count
1426
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Single Sign-On (SSO) and Open Authorization (OAuth) are two distinct technologies that often complement each other in managing user access to digital services. SSO simplifies user authentication across multiple applications by allowing users to log in once and access all interconnected services, enhancing user experience and security by reducing password fatigue and weak credentials. It is widely used in enterprise settings and consumer platforms like Google Workspace and Amazon. OAuth, on the other hand, focuses on authorization by enabling users to grant third-party applications limited access to specific data without sharing login credentials, thereby enhancing privacy and security. It is commonly used for social logins and payment processing. Organizations often employ both SSO and OAuth to achieve seamless authentication and secure data sharing. Tools like Descope offer solutions to integrate these systems, simplifying identity and access management through features like visual workflow designers and self-service portals.