SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)

In today’s digital world, managing multiple logins across various platforms can be both cumbersome and a security risk. Organizations are constantly looking for ways to enhance security while providing a smooth user experience. One widely adopted solution is SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), an open standard that enables secure single sign-on (SSO) across multiple applications.

What is SAML?

SAML is a protocol used to exchange authentication and authorization data between an identity provider (IDP) and a service provider (SP). It allows users to authenticate once with their identity provider and gain access to multiple services without needing to log in again.

For example, if your company uses Google Workspace as an identity provider, SAML enables you to log in to other business applications (like Salesforce, Slack, or AWS) without needing separate credentials for each service.

How SAML works

SAML follows a structured process to verify and grant user access securely. Here’s how it works:

1. User requests access – The user attempts to log in to a service provider (e.g., Salesforce) without entering credentials directly. Instead of requesting a username and password, the service provider checks if the user has an existing active session with an identity provider.
2. Redirect to identity provider – If no active session is found, the service provider redirects the user to the identity provider (e.g., Okta or Microsoft Entra ID) for authentication. This request is typically made using a SAML authentication request, which includes metadata about the service provider and the requested authentication type.
3. User authenticates – The user logs in with their credentials at the identity provider. Many organizations enforce additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometric verification, or location-based access controls to ensure secure authentication.
4. IDP sends SAML assertion – Once the user is successfully authenticated, the identity provider generates a SAML assertion—a digitally signed, encrypted XML document that contains information about the authenticated user, including their identity, attributes (such as email and role), and authentication method used. This assertion is then sent back to the service provider via the user’s browser.
5. Service provider grants access – The service provider verifies the SAML assertion by checking its digital signature, expiration time, and the identity provider’s trust relationship. If the assertion is valid, the user is granted access to the requested service, often without any further interaction.

This streamlined process eliminates the need for users to remember multiple passwords while maintaining high security standards. It also helps reduce IT workload by minimizing password reset requests and mitigating the risk of phishing attacks.

What are the benefits of SAML?

SAML provides a range of benefits for both users and organizations:

1. Enhanced security

Since users authenticate through a trusted identity provider, organizations can enforce strict security policies, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access rules. Additionally, reducing password usage minimizes the risk of phishing and credential theft. SAML also supports encryption and digital signatures, ensuring that authentication data remains secure during transmission and cannot be tampered with by unauthorized parties.

2. Improved user experience

With SAML, users no longer need to remember multiple passwords or log in separately to different applications. This simplifies the login process and improves productivity. Employees can access work tools faster, reducing login friction and allowing them to focus on their tasks without interruptions. Additionally, since authentication is handled by a central identity provider, users benefit from a more consistent and reliable login experience across all integrated applications.

3. Reduced IT overhead

IT teams spend less time managing password resets and user credentials. Since authentication is centralized, troubleshooting and support become easier. Helpdesk teams see a significant decrease in the number of password-related support requests, freeing up resources to focus on more strategic IT initiatives. Additionally, centralized access management makes it easier to onboard and offboard employees, ensuring that users only have access to the tools they need while maintaining security compliance.

4. Standardized protocol

SAML is widely adopted across industries and supported by many enterprise applications, making it a flexible and scalable authentication solution. Because it is an open standard, SAML ensures interoperability between various identity and service providers, reducing vendor lock-in and allowing businesses to integrate diverse applications into their ecosystem seamlessly. Organizations that adopt SAML benefit from a tried-and-tested authentication framework that aligns with industry best practices for security and identity management.

SAML vs. other authentication methods

SAML is often compared to OAuth and OIDC (OpenID Connect), two other authentication protocols. While SAML is primarily used for enterprise single sign-on (SSO), OAuth and OIDC are more common for modern API-based authentication, such as logging in with Google or Facebook. Organizations choose SAML when they need secure authentication for web-based enterprise applications.

Is SAML still relevant?

SAML is still relevant, but its role is evolving in the authentication and identity management space. Here’s why:

Why is SAML is still used?

SAML continues to be widely used, primarily due to its strong presence in enterprise environments. Many large organizations and legacy systems still rely on SAML for Single Sign-On (SSO) across multiple applications, as it has been a longstanding standard for identity federation. Its deep integration into enterprise infrastructure makes it difficult for many businesses to move away from it entirely.

Regulatory compliance is another key reason for SAML’s continued relevance. Industries such as healthcare, finance, and government often have strict security and authentication requirements, and many of these regulations explicitly support or mandate SAML-based authentication. Because of its established security model and widespread adoption in compliance-heavy industries, organizations operating in regulated sectors continue to depend on it.

Additionally, SAML remains necessary for integrating with older systems. Many legacy SaaS platforms and identity providers (IDPs) were built around SAML before newer authentication protocols like OpenID Connect (OIDC) gained traction. Since not all legacy applications have been updated to support modern authentication standards, organizations must continue using SAML to ensure compatibility and maintain seamless access across their existing infrastructure.

Challenges & declining adoption:

SAML remains relevant, particularly for enterprises, legacy systems, and industries with strict compliance requirements such as healthcare, finance, and government. Many organizations continue to rely on SAML-based authentication because their existing infrastructure was built around it, and migrating to newer protocols can be complex and costly. Additionally, regulatory standards often mandate the use of well-established security frameworks, further solidifying SAML’s place in enterprise environments.

However, its adoption in new deployments is steadily declining in favor of OpenID Connect (OIDC) and OAuth 2.0. These newer protocols are more lightweight, API-friendly, and better suited for modern cloud-based and mobile applications. Unlike SAML, which relies on XML and is often seen as more complex, OIDC operates on JSON and integrates seamlessly with modern identity and access management (IAM) solutions. As businesses continue to embrace cloud-native architectures and mobile-first strategies, OIDC and OAuth 2.0 have become the preferred choices for authentication and authorization.

Despite this shift, many identity solutions now support both SAML and OIDC, allowing organizations to bridge the gap between older enterprise applications and newer, cloud-based services. This hybrid approach enables businesses to maintain compatibility with legacy systems while gradually transitioning to more modern authentication methods.

For those developing a new application, OIDC is generally the better choice due to its flexibility and efficiency. However, if enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO) integration is a requirement, SAML remains necessary.