What is SAML 2.0 and How Does It Work?

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 is a crucial open standard based on XML that facilitates seamless single sign-on (SSO) experiences by allowing an Identity Provider (IdP) to pass authorization credentials to a Service Provider (SP), thereby streamlining user access across multiple applications without multiple logins. This framework enhances security by decoupling authentication events from applications, ensuring that service providers never see user passwords, and allowing instant offboarding when an employee leaves by simply disabling their access in the IdP. While SAML is the gold standard for enterprise-level applications, its XML-based structure can be cumbersome compared to the more modern JSON-based OpenID Connect (OIDC), which is favored for sleek, mobile, and single-page web applications. Implementing SAML requires attention to security best practices such as validating audience restrictions, ensuring signature validation, and protecting against XML External Entity (XXE) attacks, while an API-first platform like SSOJet can simplify integration and maintenance.