The security and privacy of user data are fundamental concerns for companies offering online services. When an application or website needs to access confidential information on behalf of a user, it is important that this is done in a secure and reliable manner. This is where OAuth (Open Authorization) comes into play.

In this article, you’ll see:

• the advantages of using the OAuth protocol;
• how to conduct its implementation process.

What are the advantages of the OAuth protocol?

OAuth 2.0 is widely adopted throughout the technology industry. Large companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter use it to allow third-party applications to access user information securely through a
tokenization system
.

In addition, OAuth allows users to grant specific permissions, ensuring that applications only access the data they need. This improves the user experience by eliminating the need to enter login information in several applications.

The OAuth protocol is a fundamental component of advanced cybersecurity solutions such as:

Identity Federation

A
Federation of Identities
is a strategy that allows user identities to be shared between different systems and organizations in a secure manner. Often, a federated identity system will use OAuth as one of the protocols to delegate authentication and authorization.

Identity as a Service (IDaaS)

O
Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
is a model in which identity, authentication and authorization are provided as cloud services. OAuth is used to facilitate secure access to cloud applications without the need to share passwords or authentication information.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

O
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
covers a variety of practices, policies and technologies used to manage user identities and their access to systems and resources.

In this context, OAuth simplifies the implementation of access control policies, ensuring that the appropriate permissions are only granted to authorized users.

How to implement the OAuth standard?

The process of implementing OAuth involves several steps, each with its own specific function:

Client Registration

The first step in implementing OAuth is to register the client, i.e. the application or service that wants to access the protected resources on behalf of the user. During this process, the client receives a unique ID that is used for authentication.

Authorization Request

At this stage, the client requests the user’s authorization to access the protected resources, informing them of their ID, the scope of the authorization and a redirect URL where the user will be taken after authorization. The user is then presented with an authentication screen, where they can grant or deny authorization.

Authorization Grant

In this part, if the user authorizes the request made, the service provider issues a grant of authorization which can take various forms, such as an access token or a refresh token.

Token Exchange

The exchange of tokens in authentication systems allows the conversion of one type of security token into another, usually for a short period of time. This helps to strengthen security, since long-lived tokens are exchanged for short-lived tokens, reducing exposure and risk in the event of compromise.

Resource Access

The service provider checks the validity of the access tokens and grants or denies access to the resources. Access tokens have a limited period of validity, ensuring that access is temporary and controlled.

• Read also:
  Integration via API: how to ensure security
  

Strengthen your company’s cybersecurity with Qriar

A
QRIAR
is a Brazilian information security company that helps organizations enable innovation, maximize operational efficiency and offer a better user experience for their applications.

Our team has certified professionals who are trained to deliver customized and robust projects in a variety of segments, such as financial institutions, logistics companies and retailers, among others. It is no coincidence that we are recognized by global brands such as IBM, OpenText, Broadcom, Ping Identity and CyberArk.

Want to know more?
Sign up to receive contact from our experts and schedule a free demo
.