The process of establishing trust relationships between separate identity management systems so that users authenticated by one system can access resources managed by another without re-authentication.
About Identity Federation
The process of establishing trust relationships between separate identity management systems so that users authenticated by one system can access resources managed by another without re-authentication. This is a intermediate-level concept in the Authentication, SSO domain. Related topics include authentication, cloud-identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Identity Federation?
The process of establishing trust relationships between separate identity management systems so that users authenticated by one system can access resources managed by another without re-authentication.
How does Identity Federation work?
Identity Federation works by providing key functionality for identity management, access control, and security. It integrates with other identity components to deliver secure, standards-based workflows in enterprise and consumer applications.
What is Identity Federation used for?
Identity Federation is used in digital identity systems to support secure authentication, authorization, and identity lifecycle management. Common use cases include single sign-on, access governance, API security, and regulatory compliance.
What are the benefits of Identity Federation?
The key benefits of Identity Federation include improved security posture, streamlined user experience, reduced operational overhead, and better compliance with privacy regulations. Organizations adopting Identity Federation can achieve stronger access controls and simplified identity management.
Identity Federation vs federated-identity?
While Identity Federation and federated-identity are related concepts in digital identity, they serve different purposes. Identity Federation focuses on the process of establishing trust relationships between separate identity management systems so that users authenticated by one system can access resources managed by another without re-authentication, whereas federated-identity addresses a complementary aspect of identity and access management. Understanding both is essential for building comprehensive security architectures.
Related Books
Solving Identity Management in Modern Applications
Yvonne Wilson
Solving Identity Management in Modern Applications
Yvonne Wilson, Abhishek Hingnikar
This book provides a practical guide to identity management for modern applications. It covers the fundamentals of authentication, authorization, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML 2.0, explaining when and how to use each. The second edition includes updated coverage of passwordless authentication, passkeys, and decentralized identity.
Keycloak - Identity and Access Management for Modern Applications
Stian Thorgersen
Keycloak - Identity and Access Management for Modern Applications
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This practical guide covers Keycloak from installation to advanced configuration. Learn how to secure applications using OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0, configure social login, implement fine-grained authorization, manage users and roles, and integrate Keycloak with existing infrastructure.
IAM for Cloud Infrastructure
Marcus Young
IAM for Cloud Infrastructure
Marcus Young
A practical guide to identity and access management across major cloud platforms. Covers AWS IAM, Azure AD (Entra ID), and GCP IAM including policies, roles, service accounts, cross-cloud identity federation, and infrastructure-as-code for IAM.