What is OpenID Connect?

What is OpenID Connect?

OpenID Connect (OIDC) is an authentication protocol that is built on top of the OAuth 2.0 framework. OIDC enables authentication between a user, a relying party, and an identity provider.

OIDC provides user authentication and authorization by allowing clients (relying parties) to verify the identity of end-users based on the authentication performed by an identity provider (IdP). The protocol enables clients to obtain user profile information, such as name and email address, and verify that the user has authenticated with the IdP.

OIDC uses JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) to transmit information between the identity provider and the relying party. JWTs are digitally signed and encrypted, ensuring that the data is secure and tamper-proof.

Overall, OIDC provides a standardized and secure way for users to authenticate and authorize access to their personal data across different applications and services.

Like SAML, OIDC enables single sign-on (SSO) authentication, but it has some key differences and advantages over SAML.

OIDC is built on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol and provides additional capabilities for authentication, such as user profile information and support for native mobile applications. It also uses JSON web tokens (JWTs) instead of XML-based SAML tokens, which makes it easier to work with modern web and mobile applications.

Many SaaS companies, including Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and many others, support OIDC as a standard for federated identity and access management. In fact, OIDC has become the de facto standard for modern authentication and authorization, especially in the context of web and mobile applications.

Overall, both SAML and OIDC are important protocols for secure and seamless authentication and authorization in the context of SaaS and other online services. Which protocol to use depends on the specific requirements and constraints of the application and the infrastructure in which it operates.

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