SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)

Introduction

Security Assertion Markup Language is an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular, between an identity provider and a service provider.

It is an identity federation protocol, born in 2001 and published in 2005. The design of SAML is highly secure and based on the technologies used at the beginning of this century. It uses XML tokens, signed and optionally encrypted using XMLdSig standard, and uses SOAP as its transport protocol.

SAML is an important component of many SSO systems that allow users to access multiple applications, services or websites from a single login process. SAML allows sharing security credential across systems.

SAML establishes indirect communication with applications through the browser.