What is an Identity Provider (IdP)?

Remember ‘Hey You.’ The timeless Pink Floyd anthem asked who’s really on the other side. Today, this question defines digital trust. When someone claims to be Syd Barrett online, how do you know it’s true? 

That’s where an identity provider (IdP) steps in, verifying and authenticating your digital identity. But what is an identity provider, and why does IdP authentication matter so much? Managing identities is essential for secure access to online services. Organizations need to protect data and systems while offering seamless access to employees, partners, and customers.

This blog demystifies IdPs, their role, and their impact on security.

What is an Identity Provider (IdP)?

An Identity Provider (IdP) is a service that creates, manages, verifies, and authenticates user identities across networks. It issues IdP authentication tokens so users can access multiple applications with a single set of credentials.

Types of Identity Providers

• Enterprise IdPs: Centralize authentication for workforce and partners across apps and infrastructure.
• Social IdPs: Let users log in easily using social media credentials.
• OpenID Connect (OIDC) IdPs: Provide modern, token-based authentication for apps via OIDC protocols.
• SAML IdPs: Enable secure Single Sign-On using SAML assertions across services.
• LDAP-based IdPs: Authenticate users through on-prem directory services and legacy apps.
• Cloud directory IdPs: Offer cloud-native directories to manage identities without local servers.

Key functions

• Authentication: Validates identity via passwords, biometrics, or MFA.
• Federation: Connects identities across different organizations.
• Access management: Assigns permissions and controls secure access.

Why are Identity Providers necessary?

Identity providers (IdPs) play a crucial role in keeping data secure, improving user access, and meeting compliance standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX. Instead of enabling long password lists, an IdP provider uses IdP authentication to let users sign in once with a single set of credentials.

Key benefits

• Enhancing security: Add multi-factor authentication, centralize credentials, and maintain detailed logs for audits.
• Simplifying access: Automate provisioning and manage permissions as users join, move roles, or leave.
• Ensuring compliance: Keep accurate records and enforce policies across all systems.

If you’ve ever wondered what is an identity provider, this is why they matter. IdPs are essential for strong security, simplified access, and fast responses to threats. But IdPs don’t work alone. They partner with Service Providers to deliver a seamless user experience.

IdP vs. SP: What’s the difference?

While an Identity Provider (IdP) manages and verifies digital identities, a Service Provider (SP) delivers the apps and services users need. Here’s how they work together:

• Identity Provider (IdP):
  • Creates, manages, and authenticates identities.
  • Issues secure IdP authentication tokens.
  • Examples: Okta, Azure AD, Google Identity.
    
• Service Provider (SP):
  • Hosts the applications users access.
  • Trusts the IdP to confirm user identity.
  • Examples: Salesforce, Office 365, Zoom.

Together, IdP providers and SPs simplify secure access, reduce password fatigue, and keep data protected.

How do IdPs work with SSO services?

An Identity Provider (IdP) is the trusted authority that manages, verifies, and authenticates user identities across networks and applications. At a glance,it all seems simple: IdP proves who you are online. But behind the scenes, an IdP does much more to keep your data safe and your experience seamless.

It starts with identity management. An IdP provider creates and stores each user’s identity data, usernames, hashed passwords, multi-factor credentials, and other authentication details. When you try to log in, your request doesn’t go straight to the application you want to use.

Instead, here’s what happens:

• The redirect: The application (known as the Service Provider, or SP) redirects you to the IdP.
• Verification: The IdP checks your credentials. This process is called IdP authentication and can include passwords, biometrics, or security tokens.
• Token issuance: Once verified, the IdP issues a secure token, like a SAML assertion or OAuth token, that confirms your identity without exposing your password.
• Access granted: The service provider reads the token and grants you access.

This workflow is what powers Single Sign-On (SSO). With SSO, you sign in once through the IdP and automatically gain access to all connected apps like Office 365, Salesforce, Zoom.

• But here’s an important distinction:

• The IdP identity provider handles the identity verification.
• The SSO provider coordinates sessions and passes the tokens around.

Why not combine them into one system? Some platforms do, but merging SSO and IdP can create risks. For example, attackers could forge SAML assertions to impersonate users, a type of on-path attack. That’s why many organizations keep their IdP and SSO separate for stronger security.

Make Scalefusion OneIdP your trusted Identity Provider (IdP)

Identity Providers (IdPs) are essential for modern organizations. They secure access, simplify identity management, and support compliance. For IT and security teams, understanding what an identity provider is, and how it can protect your environment is critical.

Scalefusion OneIdP offers an extensive identity and access management platform that works as a trusted IdP provider. It supports industry-standard protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect (OIDC) to help you integrate authentication across all your apps and services seamlessly. 

You get built-in conditional access, intuitive context-aware signals, and broad SSO capabilities. Together, these features create a holistic approach to managing and securing digital identities. So when someone says Hey You, you won’t have to wonder who’s really on the other side.