What is an Identity Broker

In today's interconnected digital landscape, the need for secure and seamless access to online services is paramount. Organizations strive to provide a user-friendly experience while maintaining robust security measures. Identity brokering services have emerged as a critical solution in this context, acting as intermediaries that streamline the authentication process between users and service providers. This article explores the concept of identity brokering, its functions, regulatory context, practical applications, and how organizations can leverage it effectively.

What is an Identity Brokering Service

An identity brokering service is a system that manages the authentication process between service providers (SPs) and multiple identity providers (IdPs). It acts as a trusted intermediary, allowing users to authenticate themselves using various identity sources without the need for service providers to manage multiple integrations individually. This service simplifies the authentication process, enhances security, and improves user experience by centralizing and managing connections with multiple IdPs.

What is an Identity Broker

An identity broker is the entity or system that provides the identity brokering service. It facilitates secure authentication by managing the communication and trust relationships between service providers and identity providers. By leveraging standard authentication protocols such as SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), OAuth (Open Authorization), and OpenID Connect, identity brokers ensure that the authentication process is efficient, secure, and consistent across different platforms and services.

Regulatory Context for European Identity Providers and Brokers

GDPR Compliance

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a critical regulatory framework that governs data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU). Identity brokers operating in Europe must comply with GDPR requirements to ensure that user data is handled securely and transparently. This includes obtaining explicit user consent for data processing, ensuring data minimization, and providing users with the right to access, rectify, and erase their data.

eIDAS Regulation

The eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication, and trust Services) regulation is another important framework that sets standards for electronic identification and trust services within the EU. Identity brokers must adhere to eIDAS requirements to provide secure and interoperable electronic identification services. This regulation aims to enhance trust in electronic transactions and promote the use of electronic identification across borders.

What Does an Identity Broker Do for Identity Providers and Users

Core Functions

1. Authentication Management: Identity brokers manage the authentication process by redirecting authentication requests from service providers to the appropriate IdPs. Once the user is authenticated, the broker relays the verified identity information back to the service provider, granting the user access to the desired resource.
2. Protocol Standardization: By utilizing standard authentication protocols like SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect, identity brokers ensure that the authentication process is secure and consistent. These protocols provide a robust framework for identity verification and data exchange between IdPs and service providers.
3. Trust Relationship Management: Identity brokers establish and manage trust relationships between service providers and IdPs. This involves exchanging security certificates and configuring trust settings to ensure that authentication tokens and assertions are trusted and secure.
4. User Attribute Mapping: Identity brokers map user attributes such as usernames, email addresses, and roles between IdPs and service providers. This ensures that the correct user information is passed along during the authentication process, enabling seamless integration of user data.

Examples of Identity Providers and Brokers

1. Auth0: Auth0 is a flexible identity management platform that supports various authentication methods and protocols, including SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect. It is designed to provide secure and seamless authentication for users across multiple applications. Auth0's identity brokering service enables organizations to manage user identities efficiently and securely.
2. Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Azure AD is a comprehensive identity and access management solution for businesses. It supports SSO, MFA, and integrates with numerous enterprise applications. Azure AD's identity brokering capabilities enable secure authentication and seamless access to corporate resources.

How to Leverage Identity Brokering for Your Organisation’s Authentication Needs

Enhancing Security

Implementing an identity brokering service can significantly enhance an organization's security posture. By supporting advanced authentication methods such as MFA and biometric verification, identity brokers reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Organizations can leverage these features to ensure that only verified users can access sensitive resources.

Streamlining Authentication Processes

Identity brokering services simplify the authentication process by managing connections with multiple IdPs. This reduces the complexity and cost associated with maintaining individual integrations for each IdP. Organizations can streamline their authentication processes, improve user experience, and reduce operational overhead by centralizing authentication management.

Improving User Experience

Users benefit from the convenience of using existing identities, such as social media accounts or corporate credentials, to access multiple services. Identity brokering services enable SSO, allowing users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications without re-entering credentials. This enhances user satisfaction by providing a seamless and efficient login experience.

Identity Brokering and IDPs in Practice

Business-to-Customer (B2C)

In B2C applications, identity brokers enable users to log in using social media accounts or other preferred identity sources. For example, a retail website might allow customers to sign in using their Facebook or Google accounts, streamlining the checkout process and improving user satisfaction. This approach leverages the trust and familiarity users have with their existing identities.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

In B2B scenarios, identity brokers facilitate SSO for enterprise clients. This allows employees to access various corporate applications using their company credentials. For instance, a company using Microsoft Azure Active Directory can enable employees to access third-party applications with their corporate credentials, ensuring a seamless and secure user experience.

Government-to-Citizen (G2C)

Governments use identity brokers to provide citizens with secure access to public services. For example, in Australia, users can access government services using their MyGovID, a verified digital identity. This approach enhances security and improves the efficiency of public service delivery by reducing the administrative burden associated with identity verification.

What is an Identity Provider?

An identity provider (IdP) is an entity that creates, maintains, and manages identity information while providing authentication services to applications and service providers. IdPs authenticate users by verifying their credentials and issuing identity assertions that can be used by service providers to grant access to resources and services.

Identity providers play a crucial role in the digital identity ecosystem, ensuring that only verified users can access specific resources. They employ various authentication methods, such as passwords, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), to verify user identities. Once authenticated, the IdP generates a token or assertion that the user can present to service providers, enabling secure and seamless access to services without the need to re-authenticate.

Identity providers can be categorized into public and private entities. Public IdPs include social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, which allow users to authenticate using their social media credentials. Private IdPs are typically used within organizations, such as Microsoft Azure Active Directory, which authenticates employees within a corporate environment.

How Identity Providers Facilitate Authentication

Identity providers facilitate authentication by implementing robust mechanisms that ensure secure and efficient verification of user identities. The following methods are commonly used by IdPs to facilitate authentication:

1. Password-Based Authentication: This is the most traditional method where users provide a username and password to authenticate. IdPs manage the storage and verification of these credentials, ensuring they are securely encrypted.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA enhances security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification, such as something they know (password), something they have (security token), and something they are (biometric data). This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
3. Biometric Authentication: Biometric methods use unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans, to verify a user's identity. These methods are highly secure as they are difficult to replicate or forge.
4. Single Sign-On (SSO): SSO allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications without needing to re-enter credentials. This improves user experience and reduces the likelihood of password fatigue.
5. OAuth and OpenID Connect: These protocols enable secure token-based authentication. OAuth is commonly used for authorizing third-party applications to access user data without exposing user credentials, while OpenID Connect is built on top of OAuth to provide federated identity.

Identity providers ensure that these authentication methods are implemented securely, using encryption and other security measures to protect user data during the authentication process. They also continuously monitor and analyze authentication attempts to detect and respond to suspicious activities in real-time.

Integration of Identity Brokers with IDPs

Identity brokers integrate with identity providers (IDPs) using standard authentication protocols and APIs to ensure secure and efficient user authentication. This integration involves several key steps:

1. Configuring IDPs: Identity brokers need to be configured to connect with the desired IDPs. This involves setting up the necessary authentication protocols (e.g., SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect) and ensuring that the IDPs can communicate with the broker securely. Configuration typically includes providing the IDP's metadata, such as endpoints, certificates, and required attributes, to establish a trust relationship between the broker and the IDP.
2. Establishing Trust Relationships: Trust relationships are established between the identity broker and the IDPs to ensure that authentication tokens and assertions can be trusted. This usually involves exchanging security certificates and configuring trust settings. The broker and IDP must agree on shared security standards and practices to protect the integrity and confidentiality of authentication data.
3. Mapping User Attributes: User attributes, such as usernames, email addresses, and roles, need to be mapped between the IDP and the service provider. This ensures that the correct user information is passed along during the authentication process. Attribute mapping can be customized to align with the specific needs of the service provider, enabling seamless integration of user data from the IDP to the application.
4. Testing and Validation: Before going live, the integration needs to be thoroughly tested to ensure that authentication flows work correctly and securely. This includes testing various scenarios, such as user login, logout, and error handling, to verify that the integration meets security and usability standards. Testing helps identify and resolve potential issues, ensuring a smooth user experience and robust security.
5. Ongoing Management: Once integrated, the identity broker continuously manages the authentication process, handling token exchanges, session management, and user attribute updates. Regular monitoring and maintenance are required to ensure the integration remains secure and efficient. This involves updating configurations, renewing certificates, and addressing any emerging security threats or changes in the IDP's protocols.

By integrating with multiple IDPs, identity brokers provide a flexible and scalable authentication solution that meets the diverse needs of users and organizations. This integration allows businesses to offer a wide range of authentication options, enhancing security and user experience across different applications and services