Which technology creates a security token that allows a user to log into a web application using credentials from a social media website?

Which technology creates a security token that allows a user to log into a web application using credentials from a social media website?

• A. Open Authentication
• B. OAuth
• C. SAML
• D. OpenID Connect

Answer: (C)

When a web app lets you sign in using credentials from a social media site, the system uses an identity layer built on top of a standard authorization flow to verify who you are and to issue a token that represents your identity. OpenID Connect fits this role: it sits atop OAuth 2.0 and provides an ID token that proves the user’s identity after they authenticate with the social provider. The web app receives and validates this token (often a JWT) and then establishes a user session without handling the social credentials itself. OAuth 2.0 handles authorization tokens to access resources, not necessarily to prove who the user is. SAML is an older, XML-based SSO approach commonly seen in enterprise scenarios, not the typical choice for social login flows. OpenID Connect is the modern choice for logging into a web application with social provider credentials because it securely authenticates the user and delivers identity information in a token.

When a web app lets you sign in using credentials from a social media site, the system uses an identity layer built on top of a standard authorization flow to verify who you are and to issue a token that represents your identity. OpenID Connect fits this role: it sits atop OAuth 2.0 and provides an ID token that proves the user’s identity after they authenticate with the social provider. The web app receives and validates this token (often a JWT) and then establishes a user session without handling the social credentials itself.

OAuth 2.0 handles authorization tokens to access resources, not necessarily to prove who the user is. SAML is an older, XML-based SSO approach commonly seen in enterprise scenarios, not the typical choice for social login flows. OpenID Connect is the modern choice for logging into a web application with social provider credentials because it securely authenticates the user and delivers identity information in a token.