Introduction to Identity Protocols: SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect

Securing modern applications requires a solid grasp of how users authenticate and authorize access across different systems. This text-based course guides you through the fundamental protocols that power modern single sign-on (SSO) and secure API access, without requiring prior security experience.\n\nBy reading this course, you will transition from a beginner to a confident practitioner capable of explaining and implementing secure identity architectures. You will understand how identity providers and service providers communicate, how tokens are issued and validated, and how to apply these concepts to protect real-world systems.\n\nWhat you'll learn:\n- Understand the core concepts of Identity and Access Management (IAM), including authentication, authorization, and directory services.\n- Compare SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect (OIDC) to select the right protocol for your application's security needs.\n- Analyze how federated identity works to enable secure Single Sign-On (SSO) across enterprise systems.\n- Master the mechanics of OAuth grant types and token exchange, including modern security updates like PKCE.\n- Apply zero-trust security principles to token validation, session management, and API protection.\n- Read and interpret standard protocol flows, XML assertions, and JSON Web Tokens (JWT) to troubleshoot authentication issues.\n\nCourse-content overview:\nYou will start with foundational terminology and the basic mechanics of identity exchange before diving into detailed, step-by-step breakdowns of SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect. Through written explanations, protocol flow descriptions, and practical configuration scenarios, you will learn how to secure modern web and mobile applications.\n\nTarget audience:\nThis course is designed for software developers, system administrators, and aspiring security professionals who are new to identity protocols. No prior experience with cryptography or security engineering is required.\n\nBegin your journey toward mastering secure application access today.