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Shibboleth – SSO and Federations

Logo: Shibboleth

What Is Shibboleth?

Shibboleth is an open source product that enables an organisation-spanning (federated) authentication and authorisation for web applications. Thus, Shibboleth is an essential component of Federated Identity & Access Management and is primarily used in federations of universities, research institutes, authorities and large companies.

Shibboleth consists of two main components. The Identity Provider (IdP) authenticates users, while the Service Provider (SP) controls access to protected resources. Based on the standard SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), Shibboleth enables Single Sign-On (SSO), i.e. a user has to authenticate him- or herself only once in order to access multiple services within the federation.

The open source project was originally developed by the US-American university consortium Internet2. Now the Shibboleth Consortium is responsible for its further development.

This Is How Single Sign-On (SSO) Works with Shibboleth

Single Sign-On (SSO) is a process that allows access to various services by a single authentication process, thus eliminating the need for users to create numerous accounts and to login several times a day.

This method offers real added value in terms of convenience and security for the IT infrastructures of your company.

As Shibboleth is an implementation of the widely established SAML protocol, it allows the usage of one account for web applications provided in the Internet or intranet of all partner organizations that are also a member of your federation. When logged in, the applications receive all information (attributes) necessary to grant access, independent from the system or partner organisation the application is provided by. Reliable, flexible and secure!

Extend Shibboleth – i.e. by Additional Authentication Methods

DAASI International is able to expand Shibboleth beyond its standard functionality, for instance by implementing plugins. As an example, many customers of DAASI International rely on the secure two-factor authentication (2FA). Through these plugins, tailor-made for the customer-specific requirements by DAASI International, the authentication solution fits perfectly into any given system landscape. DAASI International can support you in extending Shibboleth according to your needs – no matter what policies your IT infrastructure requires for the authetication, i. e. if your second factor is a text message, a smartphone app or an USB key.

The competent Shibboleth developers at DAASI International can evaluate your requirements efficiently and timely. Feel free to ask for a non-binding offer!

How Federations Work

A federation is an affiliation of multiple organisations where the individual participants maintain their own internal structure. The advantage of a federation is that access to services and data can be given across all member organizations. Two concepts play a crucial part in building a federation: A standardized format (e. g., the SAML protocol) for data exchange ensures the technical compatibility of the organisations. Trust on the other hand is established by the operator of the federation who acts as the central authority, for example through contracts. Find more information about federations here.

DAASI International would be glad to advise and support you in the integration of IAM solutions and IT infrastructures for federations that make it possible to reach users across organisations.

What Shibboleth Services Does DAASI International Offer?

DAASI International has always been a specialist for Shibboleth and has actively been involved in its development, for example through several standardisation committees. DAASI International has implemented SSO solutions within numerous IAM projects and is listed as an official support partner by the Shibboleth Consortium.

Photo: Employees talking to clients

The services of DAASI International in terms of Shibboleth include:

  • Consulting: DAASI International helps you find out if and how Shibboleth is best suited for your project.
  • Implementation: As a software developer, DAASI International reliably takes care of the implementation and integration of SSO solutions into your existing IT structures.
  • Support: Listed as an official support provider by the Shibboleth Consortium, DAASI International is happy to support you during operation through monitoring, reporting, consulting, maintenance and implementation of updates. And if you have any problems with Shibboleth, DAASI International will always be at your side as competent partner.
  • Ubuntu packages: DAASI International provides current versions of the Shibboleth SP together with the associated packages on Ubuntu.
  • Training: The experts of DAASI International are happy to teach you and your employees regarding the design, handling and maintenance of SSO systems with Shibboleth.

Furthermore, DAASI International is at your disposal for all questions concerning federations, SAML and all other topics related to Federated Identity & Access Management.

You need Shibboleth support, consulting or training?

DAASI International is your Shibboleth expert and is awaiting your questions.

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