SSO (Single Sign-On)
Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication mechanism that allows users to log in once with a single set of credentials and access multiple applications without re-authenticating. SSO reduces password fatigue, improves security by centralizing authentication, and simplifies identity management.
Why It Matters
SSO is implemented through protocols like SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC). The user authenticates with the identity provider once, and the IdP issues tokens that connected applications accept without requiring separate credentials.
For AI agents, SSO creates an interesting governance consideration. If an agent provisioning system (like Agent Cake) needs to authenticate to a target app on behalf of an admin, and that app enforces SSO-only authentication, the provisioning flow may be blocked. SSO-only enforcement disables the username/password path that some automation tools rely on.
SSO also enables centralized session management. If an organization revokes a user's SSO session, all applications connected through SSO lose access simultaneously, including any agents acting on that user's delegated authority.