Single Sign-On (SSO) in Cybersecurity - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Single Sign-On (SSO)

User tries to access App A

↓

Check if user is logged in?

No→Redirect to SSO Login

|Yes↓

Access granted to App A

↓

User tries to access App B

↓

Check if user is logged in?

Yes→Access granted to App B

User tries to access an app; if not logged in, redirected to SSO login. After login, user can access multiple apps without logging in again.

Execution Sample

Cybersecurity

1. User opens App A
2. App A checks login status
3. User redirected to SSO login if not logged in
4. User enters credentials once
5. User accesses App A and App B without new login

Shows how a user logs in once via SSO and accesses multiple apps without repeated logins.

Analysis Table

Step	Action	User Logged In?	Redirected to SSO?	Access Granted	Notes
1	User opens App A	No	Yes	No	User not logged in, redirected to SSO login
2	User enters credentials at SSO	Yes	No	No	User logs in successfully at SSO
3	User returns to App A	Yes	No	Yes	Access granted to App A
4	User opens App B	Yes	No	Yes	No new login needed, access granted
5	User logs out	No	No	No	Session ends, user must login again next time

💡 User logs out or session expires, ending SSO access

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
User Logged In	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Access to App A	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Access to App B	No	No	No	Yes	No

Key Insights - 3 Insights

Why does the user get redirected to the SSO login when accessing App A initially?

Because the user is not logged in yet (see execution_table step 1), the system redirects to SSO to authenticate once.

How can the user access App B without logging in again?

After logging in once via SSO (step 2), the login status is shared across apps, so App B grants access without new login (step 4).

What happens when the user logs out?

Logging out ends the session (step 5), so the user must log in again to access any app.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step does the user first become logged in?

A Step 2

B Step 1

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Check the 'User Logged In?' column in execution_table rows

At which step does the user gain access to App B without a new login?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at 'Access Granted' for App B in execution_table

If the user did not log out at step 5, what would be the 'User Logged In?' status at the final step?

A No

B Yes

C Unknown

D Depends on app

💡 Hint

Refer to variable_tracker for 'User Logged In' status after step 4

Concept Snapshot

Single Sign-On (SSO) lets users log in once to access multiple apps.
If not logged in, user is redirected to SSO login.
After login, user accesses other apps without re-entering credentials.
Logging out ends the session and requires login again.
SSO improves user convenience and security by centralizing authentication.

Full Transcript

Single Sign-On (SSO) is a system where a user logs in once through a central login service. When the user tries to access an application, the app checks if the user is logged in. If not, the user is redirected to the SSO login page. After entering credentials successfully, the user is logged in and can access that app. Later, when the user accesses other apps, they do not need to log in again because the login status is shared. When the user logs out, the session ends and the user must log in again to access any app. This process makes using multiple apps easier and more secure by reducing repeated logins.