Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) supports single sign-on (SSO) by providing a centralized system that authenticates and authorizes users across multiple applications or services. With CIAM, users can log in once and gain access to all the authorized systems without needing to enter their credentials again.
CIAM achieves this through the following mechanisms:
Centralized Authentication: CIAM acts as a single source of truth for user identities. When a user attempts to access an application, CIAM verifies their identity and provides a token that the application recognizes.
Secure Token Exchange: Once authenticated, CIAM issues a secure token (such as a JSON Web Token) that contains the user's identity and permissions. This token is then used to authenticate the user with the application.
Policy Enforcement: CIAM enforces access policies based on the user's identity and permissions, ensuring that users only have access to the resources they are authorized to use.
Seamless User Experience: By eliminating the need for multiple logins, CIAM provides a seamless and convenient user experience. Users can easily navigate between applications without the hassle of re-entering their credentials.
Example: Imagine a company that uses multiple software tools for different business functions, such as email, customer relationship management (CRM), and project management. With CIAM implementing SSO, an employee only needs to log in once to gain access to all these tools. When they move from the email system to the CRM, the CIAM system recognizes the user's authenticated session and grants access without requiring another login.
In the context of cloud services, platforms like Tencent Cloud offer CIAM solutions that facilitate SSO across various cloud-based applications and services, enhancing security and user convenience.