How enterprise single sign-on actually works behind the scenes

Enterprise SSO allows users to log in once to access multiple applications, but each application maintains its own separate session rather than sharing one. The system works through federation, where an identity provider authenticates users and applications independently validate that proof via signed responses. Common protocols include SAML 2.0 with XML assertions and OpenID Connect built on OAuth 2.0 with JWT tokens. Applications must properly validate issuer, audience, signatures, and time bounds to prevent security failures. Logout complexity arises because applications create local session cookies that persist independently of the identity provider.
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