authenticatieservices

Authenticatie services are components of identity and access management (IAM) that verify the claimed identity of users, devices, or services before granting access to resources. They focus on authentication, the process of proving who you are, rather than authorization, which governs what you may do once authenticated.

Common methods combine factors: something you know (passwords), something you have (security tokens, mobile devices), and something you are (biometrics). Modern deployments often use multi-factor authentication (MFA) or passwordless approaches. Credentials and tokens are validated by an identity provider (IdP) or authentication service, which may issue security tokens or assertions using standards such as SAML, OAuth 2.0, or OpenID Connect.

Architectural patterns include federated identity with service providers, enabling single sign-on across domains. Standards and protocols such as SAML, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and WebAuthn enable interoperability. Directory services like LDAP or Active Directory may supply user data used during authentication.

Security considerations include protecting credential storage, defending against phishing and credential stuffing, and enabling risk- or policy-based authentication. Governance practices such as auditing, access reviews, and regular rotation of keys and certificates support ongoing security. In practice, authentication services are offered both as standalone products and as cloud-based platforms from providers such as Okta, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, Google Cloud Identity, Ping Identity, and AWS Cognito.