{"id":28315,"date":"2026-02-12T00:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T05:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/?p=28315"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:18:24","slug":"using-claim-based-authentication-for-identity-and-access-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/using-claim-based-authentication-for-identity-and-access-management\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Claims-Based Authentication to Improve Your IAM"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">We explore how claims-based identity strengthens modern IAM. Learn how cloud-first strategies, passwordless authentication, updated protocols, and evolving providers help organizations secure APIs, mobile apps, and high-risk environments against today\u2019s advanced threats.<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>In brief:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Claims-based identity provides dynamic, continuous verification. Unlike older role-based systems that rely on static credentials, claims-based authentication checks multiple attributes in real time, making stolen tokens useless to attackers.<\/li>\n<li>Modern cloud and API environments demand flexible authentication. Traditional on-premises IAM can\u2019t secure today\u2019s distributed, multicloud ecosystems where apps rely on APIs and microservices to function.<\/li>\n<li>Passwordless authentication integrates seamlessly as a claim. With 46 percent of Americans reporting stolen passwords in 2024, modern standards like FIDO2 and passkeys work naturally within claims-based systems without complex infrastructure changes.<\/li>\n<li>Compliance standards require contextual, continuous authorization. Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA and CISA certification align with claims-based systems that document MFA access and provide ongoing verification.<\/li>\n<li>Human oversight remains critical to IAM security. You must pair strong technical tools with just-in-time access, manager-approved requests, user education, and behavioral analytics to create truly effective security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Until recently, hacking into an online resource was as easy as stealing a key to a lock. A lock doesn\u2019t know who\u2019s holding the key as the keyholder inserts and turns it. Whether the keyholder is the rightful owner or a thief, the keyholder has full access.<\/p>\n<p>For hackers, older identity and access management (IAM) systems were just as easy. For example, hackers could <a href=\"https:\/\/ijarcce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IJARCCE.2021.10104.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">steal a session cookie <\/a>from a computer\u2019s browser or memory, load it into their own browser, and use it to connect. Since the server had no way to determine who was \u201cholding the key,\u201d attackers could continue the session under the legitimate user\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, thanks to updated <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/the-role-of-identity-access-management-in-cybersecurity_cyber\/\">IAM tools<\/a>, such as claims-based authentication, times have changed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Claims-based authentication is more secure because it checks who\u2019s \u201cholding the key.\u201d<\/strong> But it\u2019s also more flexible than previous IAM tools, making it a robust defense for application programming interfaces (APIs), mobile apps, and highly sensitive environments.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Claims-Based Authentication?<\/h2>\n<p>Claims-based authentication is an <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/why-you-need-identity-management-and-access-controls-now_cyber\/\">IAM method<\/a> that passes identity information from an identity provider (IdP) to an application to verify the user\u2019s legitimacy. The identity information is what the system is \u201cclaiming\u201d about the user. The application is also known as the relying party because it relies on the information in the claim to authenticate the user.<\/p>\n<p>Claims-based authentication works using security tokens. These tokens contain the claims, which may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The user\u2019s username<\/li>\n<li>The user\u2019s email address<\/li>\n<li>The device\u2019s IP address<\/li>\n<li>Multifactor authentication (MFA) status<\/li>\n<li>The user\u2019s role<\/li>\n<li>Other custom attributes, such as the user\u2019s department or clearance level<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The app checks the security token and, if it contains the appropriate claims, grants the user access.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, a claims-based authorization system can also continually check claims in real time. So if any information changes, the app can revoke the user\u2019s access. If, for example, an attacker were to try stealing a security token, it wouldn\u2019t work on their computer because it would have a different IP address.<\/p>\n<h2>How Claims-Based Authentication Works, Step by Step<\/h2>\n<p>Claims-based authentication has three basic steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The <strong>identity provider (IdP) <\/strong>authenticates each user using a desired method, such as a password-free ID verification, an emailed or texted code, MFA status, or a passkey.<\/li>\n<li>The IdP <strong>creates a token<\/strong> using a tool such as a JSON Web Token (JWT) or the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). The token contains the claims about the user.<\/li>\n<li>The<strong> app (relying party) validates the token<\/strong> and either grants or denies the user access.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Claims-Based vs. Role-Based Authentication<\/h2>\n<p>Role-based authentication grants access using static, predefined roles, <strong>whereas claims-based authorization uses dynamic attributes, making it more difficult for a hacker to gain access.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For instance, older, role-based authentication could use a username, password and the user\u2019s \u201cadmin\u201d status to grant access. A hacker could simply grab an admin\u2019s laptop in a coffee shop and gain access to a sensitive area of a web app.<\/p>\n<p>But with claims-based authentication, the system may also check the device\u2019s geolocation and the network IP address used to log in. If the attacker moves a specific distance outside the acceptable geolocation range, they could be denied access until they verify their identity by entering a code sent to the real user\u2019s mobile device.<\/p>\n<p>Also, the claims-based system can deny the hacker access because they use a network different from the real user\u2019s. For example, if they take the laptop home, the claims-based system can deny them access because the laptop\u2019s IP address differs from the one the legitimate user uses at work, the coffee shop, or at home.<\/p>\n<p>The system could send a verification code to the user\u2019s password-protected mobile device, but because the attacker couldn\u2019t receive it, their hack would be foiled.<\/p>\n<h2>Modern IAM Challenges That Claims-Based Identity Mitigates<\/h2>\n<p>Years ago, organizations often stored their sensitive data in on-premises databases and hosted their business-critical apps in on-premises servers. That made authentication relatively straightforward because information technology (IT) teams only had to control access in that local, somewhat insulated environment.<\/p>\n<p>Modern token-centric architectures introduce novel threats, primarily because a successful theft can give hackers access to multiple systems or data assets. Some of the more common challenges include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Token theft, which hackers execute by scraping memory or exfiltrating token data stored in users\u2019 browsers<\/li>\n<li>Replay attacks, which occur when attackers steal tokens and use them in other systems<\/li>\n<li>Weak certificate-based authentication, which stems from certificates with long lifetimes or misconfigurations<\/li>\n<li>Session fixation, which occurs when an attacker forces a known session ID on a user before they log in. That way, the attacker can use the same session ID to gain illicit access.<\/li>\n<li>API-specific risks arising from poor token rotation and insecure token storage on mobile or <a href=\"https:\/\/thesai.org\/Downloads\/Volume14No11\/Paper_83-Enhancing_IoT_Security_and_Privacy_with_Claims_based_Identity.pdf\">Internet of Things (IoT) devices<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Modern computing ecosystems are more complex because they use cloud, multicloud and hybrid environments. Fortunately, claims-based tools can mitigate many of the issues posed by modern environments, specifically by providing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Continuous and contextual authorization using dynamic claims, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/why-risk-based-conditional-access-is-the-future-of-iam_cyber\/\">risk scores based on a combination of multiple factors<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine-grained API scopes, which prevent overpermissioning by enabling teams to associate users with highly detailed claims credentials<\/li>\n<li>Centralized identity governance across cloud ecosystems fosters consistently high standards and avoids compliance issues around an organization\u2019s IAM systems<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3 Key Areas Claims-Based Authentication Supports<\/h2>\n<p>Here are a few areas claims-based authentication supports:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Cloud-First and API-First Adoption<\/h3>\n<p>Modern organizations may use cloud architectures existing in multiple public or private clouds. Companies also use microservices, which can be distributed, to build their apps. As a result, many apps rely on APIs to function, and APIs can\u2019t be securely authenticated using traditional IAM or on-premises methods.<\/p>\n<p>However, claims-based identity supports:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/content\/learn\/modules\/headless-identity-basics\/understand-the-headless-approach-to-identity\">Headless identity<\/a>, ideal for mobile apps that are often \u201cheadless,\u201d meaning the user interface is decoupled from the back end<\/li>\n<li>Short-lived tokens that are only valid for a few minutes or less<\/li>\n<li>Interoperability across several providers. For instance, a single claims-based authentication system can work for an organization that uses Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Identity services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Passwordless and Phishing-Resistant Requirements<\/h3>\n<p>Passwordless and phishing-resistant measures work well with claims-based authentication because you can include them in the set of claims that must be verified. In years past, using shared secrets \u2014 such as passwords, API keys and tokens \u2014 introduced dangerous vulnerabilities because anyone with them could gain access.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s part of the reason that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/advisor\/business\/software\/american-password-habits\/\">46 percent of Americans reported having their password stolen<\/a> in 2024. But authentication tools like FIDO2, platform-based authenticators, and passkeys provide more secure ways to verify that people are who they claim to be.<\/p>\n<p>While these can be difficult to integrate into traditional IAM solutions, they work well with claims-based systems because the identity provider can simply include the passwordless or phishing-resistant authentication method, such as FIDO2, as a claim. <strong>There\u2019s no need to incorporate complex authentication logic into an app\u2019s infrastructure because a claims-based authorization service can handle authentication.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>3. Compliance and Regulatory Drivers<\/h3>\n<p>Compliance standards \u2014 such as the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the U.S.\u2019s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) \u2014 force organizations to use authorization methods that align with claims-based systems. For instance, documenting MFA access and token-based access attempts is straightforward with a claims-based identity solution.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the highly sensitive nature of many organizations\u2019 data, they must provide contextual, continuous authorization to <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-cybersecurity-audit_cyber\/\">meet compliance standards<\/a>. With older IAM systems, such approval would be difficult, but <strong>because claims-based authorization provides continuous, contextual verification, it is well-suited to compliance-sensitive companies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Claims-Based Protocols and Standards<\/h2>\n<p>Traditional protocols, which may lack the security or flexibility of modern standards, include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>SAML 2.0.<\/strong> An enterprise single sign-on (SSO) service is often used in a business-to-business (B2B) context.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WS-Federation or WS-Trust.<\/strong> Used little today. WS-Federation and WS-Trust usage has been discouraged across many industries.<\/li>\n<li>Still widely used because it can authorize APIs and web and mobile apps, OAuth has vulnerabilities, such as tokens being exposed in browser histories or logs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OpenID Connect (OIDC).<\/strong> An authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 that still relies on client secrets, which, if intercepted or shared, can compromise security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Modern Standards<\/h3>\n<p>Recent updates and <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/understand-and-comply-with-cybersecurity-standards_cyber\/\">emerging standards<\/a> have strengthened claims-based identity:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>JWT (JSON Web Tokens). <\/strong>JWT is commonly used with modern apps. It supports richer claims, is mobile-friendly, and provides short-lived tokens. In today\u2019s environments, JWT is popular because JSON is ubiquitous in programming.<\/li>\n<li>PASETO is a newer, more secure token format that addresses some JWT pitfalls, such as its vulnerability to weak algorithms. Modern organizations use PASETO to keep hacked algorithms from infiltrating their authentication systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>FIDO2 and WebAuthn.<\/strong> This is the modern standard for passwordless, phishing-resistant authentication. In today\u2019s environment, it is replacing token exchanging, which relies on transferable bearer tokens that can be stolen or intercepted and reused by attackers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Token Binding (TLS Channel Binding). <\/strong>Token binding helps prevent token replay by binding tokens to a specific Transport Layer Security (TLS) session. If an attacker tries to launch a new session, the system will deny them access, which makes it a good fit for today\u2019s TLS-protected data transfers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Identity Providers<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/technology-solutions\/cybersecurity-consulting-services\/identity-access-management-iam-consulting-services\/\">Modern IAM<\/a> is dominated by cloud-native IdPs that seamlessly support claims-based identity, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)<\/li>\n<li>AWS IAM Identity Center<\/li>\n<li>Google Cloud Identity<\/li>\n<li>Okta\/Auth0<\/li>\n<li>Ping Identity\/ForgeRock<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For business-to-consumer (B2C) and large-scale consumer apps, claims-based identity integrates directly with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Apple Sign-In<\/li>\n<li>Google Sign-In<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft Consumer Accounts<\/li>\n<li>Facebook Login<\/li>\n<li>Passkey-based ecosystem authentication<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Crucial Role Humans Play in IAM Security<\/h2>\n<p>Getting the right technical tools is only half the battle. <strong>An effective claims-based IAM system needs humans to take a leading role<\/strong>, particularly when it comes to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorporating just-in-time access privileges. <\/strong>By providing access immediately before a user needs it, an organization shrinks the window of time a hacker has to try to steal credentials.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Addressing self-service access issues.<\/strong> For instance, by routing self-service access requests through the user\u2019s manager or the resource owner, you can drastically reduce the risk of a hacker exploiting the system.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Educating users and managers around organizational policies.<\/strong> This teaches them when to request access rather than waiting for provisioning, why sharing credentials is dangerous, and how to recognize abnormal access requests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using continuous access certifications.<\/strong> Continuous access certifications can detect role changes, newly privileged accounts and other risky conditions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using attestation workflows. <\/strong>An attestation workflow can ensure managers regularly confirm legitimate access, verify justification, and automatically revoke access if access conditions aren\u2019t checked in time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Incorporating behavioral analytics for access.<\/strong> Behavioral analytics can check login location, time and the apps used to connect. It can also identify anomalies, such as unusually high download volumes or unexpected privilege escalation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Creating a rock-solid system depends on a combination of people and processes, not just strong tech.<\/p>\n<h2>Claims-Based Authentication: A Pillar of Modern IAM<\/h2>\n<p>Claims-based authentication is ideal for modern ecosystems that depend on cloud assets and app architectures dominated by microservices and APIs. They replace role-based authentication systems that were plagued by static credentials, which made them relatively easy to hack.<\/p>\n<p>Modern, adaptable claims-based tools can stop many token-based attacks by allowing the app to verify who\u2019s \u201cholding the key\u201d rather than opening its doors to just anyone with the proper static credentials.<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"inline-cta blue\">\n            <div class=\"inline-cta--content\">\n                Build a resilient cyber team with the right mix of internal talent and external expertise \u2014 without the burnout or blown-out budget.\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"inline-cta--button\">\n                <a\n                    class=\"button\"\n                    href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/resources\/cyber-expertise-at-scale-your-playbook-for-scoring-an-all-star-team_cyber\/\"\n                    target=\"_blank\"\n                    >\n\n                    Download the Playbook\n                <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>At Centric Consulting, <a href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/technology-solutions\/cybersecurity-consulting-services\/identity-access-management-iam-consulting-services\/\">our IAM consultants<\/a> focus on identifying the exact IAM processes you need before choosing the best tools. We then select the best providers \u2014 those with dependable and flexible solutions \u2014 to build your IAM system. Connect with us to learn more.<\/em>\u00a0<a class=\"button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/contact-webless\/\">Let&#8217;s Talk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how claims-based identity delivers real-time, contextual authentication to protect cloud-first and API-driven environments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":467,"featured_media":28322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[23785],"coauthors":[23791,23822],"class_list":["post-28315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cybersecurity","resource-categories-perspectives","orbitmedia_post_topic-cybersecurity"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-14 06:31:37","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/467"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28315"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60845,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28315\/revisions\/60845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28315"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=28315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}