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Commonly confused · Security Fundamentals & Crypto

SSO vs Federation: What's the Difference?

SSO lets a user authenticate once and access many applications within one organization or identity domain. Federation extends that trust across separate organizations or domains, so an identity provider in one can vouch for a user to a service provider in another.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Full definition
vs

Federated Identity

Single Sign-OnFederated Identity
ScopeWithin one organization or trust domainAcross organizations or security domains
Trust relationshipSingle identity provider for internal appsEstablished trust between independent IdPs and SPs
Typical protocolsKerberos, SAML, OIDCSAML, OIDC, WS-Federation
ExampleOne login for email, HR, and intranetLogging into a partner portal with your corporate account
RelationshipA user experience outcomeAn architecture that can deliver SSO across boundaries
Remember it

SSO is one login inside the house; federation is one login across neighbors.

Exam tip

Look for the words 'partner', 'third party', or 'another organization': that signals federation. SSO alone is the answer for convenience across internal systems.

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