IdP
An Identity Provider (IdP) is a system that creates, maintains, and manages digital identities and provides authentication services to relying applications known as service providers.
⚙️ How Does It Work?
The IdP authenticates the user and issues security tokens (SAML assertions, OIDC tokens, JWT) that service providers accept as proof of identity, enabling SSO across multiple applications.
📍 Where Is It Used?
Enterprise environments (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity), consumer apps (Sign in with Google or Apple), federated B2B scenarios.
💡 Real-World Example
Okta acts as the IdP for a company's 80 SaaS applications. Employees authenticate once to Okta, which issues SAML tokens to each application — one login, access everywhere.
🔗 Related Terms
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