SSO (Single Sign-On): what it is and how it works

LoginMaster

Single Sign-On (SSO) lets a user authenticate once and access multiple applications without re-entering credentials at every step.

What Single Sign-On is

Without SSO, every application has its own credentials: the user juggles dozens of passwords and the company multiplies its risk points. With SSO, authentication is centralized at an Identity Provider and applications trust that identity.

How it works technically

SSO relies on open standards that allow the secure exchange of identity assertions between the Identity Provider and applications:

SAML

An XML-based protocol, widespread in enterprise applications. The IdP issues a signed assertion that the application verifies.

OpenID Connect (OIDC)

Built on OAuth 2.0, it uses JSON tokens and is the modern standard for web and mobile applications.

The benefits of SSO

  • Fewer passwords to manage: lower risk of weak or reused credentials.
  • A smoother user experience and higher productivity.
  • Centralized control: revoke access to all apps in one place.
  • Easier access traceability for audit and compliance.
  • An ideal basis for applying MFA uniformly.

SSO and security: mind the single point

Centralizing authentication also concentrates risk: that is why SSO should always be paired with multi-factor authentication on sensitive access. LoginMaster integrates SSO with Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID, plus MFA configurable per project.

See how it works on the features page, or learn what sovereign identity management means in our article What is IAM.

Frequently asked questions

No. A password manager stores and fills different passwords for each service; SSO removes multiple passwords by centralizing authentication at an Identity Provider that applications trust.

SAML is widespread in established enterprise applications; OpenID Connect, built on OAuth 2.0, is the modern standard for web and mobile. A good IAM platform supports both.

SSO concentrates access in one place, so it should always be paired with multi-factor authentication on sensitive access: without MFA, compromising a single credential would open all applications.

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