What is SAML and why you should care
Blog post from Ory
Secure authentication is crucial in today's digital landscape, with SAML playing a vital role in enhancing web security by facilitating single sign-on (SSO) across multiple domains. SAML, an open standard using XML, allows for seamless user access via a single set of credentials and involves three primary roles: the principal, identity provider, and service provider. Despite being an older standard, SAML remains prevalent in industries such as healthcare, finance, and government due to its interoperability and established use, although it is gradually being replaced by modern standards like OAuth2 and OpenID Connect. To simplify the implementation of SAML, companies can utilize Ory's solution, which acts as a proxy between SAML-based identity providers and service providers, allowing applications to use OAuth2 or OpenID Connect without dealing with SAML's complexities. Ory's approach not only reduces the resource strain on developers but also offers a user-friendly administrative portal and the flexibility of a SaaS or self-hosted model, facilitating easier management and integration of SSO solutions.