Identity Federation

What is Identity Federation?

Identity Federation is a method that allows multiple organizations or systems to share and trust user identity information across separate domains. It enables users from one identity provider (IdP) to access resources in another system without creating a separate set of credentials. This is achieved through standardized protocols, such as SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), OAuth, or OpenID Connect, which securely exchange identity assertions between trusted parties. Federation reduces administrative overhead, enhances security, and enables Single Sign-On (SSO) across organizational boundaries.

Why is Identity Federation Important?

In today’s interconnected digital environments, users often need to access systems across different organizations, such as contractors accessing a utility company’s control network, or OEMs supporting remote equipment. Without federation, each organization must manage its own separate identities, leading to identity sprawl, user friction, and increased security risk.

Identity Federation solves this by creating trust relationships between identity providers, enabling seamless authentication and centralized policy enforcement. This is particularly important for critical infrastructure sectors, where operational teams, vendors, and third parties require fast, secure access, often without being part of the organization's internal directory.

Federation also helps organizations meet compliance mandates like NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA SD02E, which require clear control over identity verification and access authorization, even across external parties. By federating identities, organizations gain both agility and accountability, ensuring secure access without duplicating identity infrastructure.

How Does Xona Help with Identity Federation?

Xona natively supports Identity Federation through integration with SAML-based and LDAP-based identity providers, enabling secure access to OT and IT systems without requiring users to be recreated in separate directories. This is especially valuable in multi-organization ecosystems, where third-party vendors, remote OEMs, and contractors require time-sensitive access to critical systems.

With Xona, federated users can authenticate through their existing enterprise identity systems, and access is granted through role- and time-based policies, multi-factor authentication, and credential injection, all within Xona’s disconnected access architecture. This ensures that federated access remains secure, auditable, and compliant with critical infrastructure regulations.

Xona’s support for identity federation makes it a trusted intermediary in zero trust ecosystems, allowing organizations to govern access without surrendering control. It enables scalable collaboration while maintaining the integrity, segmentation, and oversight required in high-risk OT environments.

Frequently Asked Questions