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🔑 '''Single sign-on (SSO)''' is an authentication mechanism that allows users to access multiple applications and systems with a single set of credentials, eliminating the need to log in separately to each platform — a capability of particular value in the insurance industry, where professionals routinely navigate between [[Definition:Policy administration system (PAS) | policy administration systems]], [[Definition:Claims management system | claims platforms]], [[Definition:Bordereaux | bordereaux]] reporting tools, [[Definition:Reinsurance | reinsurance]] accounting modules, and [[Definition:Customer relationship management (CRM) | CRM]] systems throughout a single workday. For an [[Definition:Underwriter | underwriter]] at a [[Definition:Lloyd's syndicate | Lloyd's syndicate]] or a [[Definition:Claims adjuster | claims handler]] at a large composite [[Definition:Insurance carrier | insurer]], SSO transforms what would otherwise be a fragmented and time-consuming login ritual into seamless movement across interconnected tools.

⚙️ SSO works by establishing a trust relationship between a central identity provider (IdP) and the various service providers (applications) an organization uses. When an insurance employee authenticates once — typically through protocols like SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, or OpenID Connect — the identity provider issues a security token that each connected application accepts as proof of identity, granting access according to the user's [[Definition:Role-based access control (RBAC) | role-based permissions]]. In practice, this means a [[Definition:Managing general agent (MGA) | MGA]] employee logging into a carrier's [[Definition:Delegated underwriting authority (DUA) | delegated authority]] portal might simultaneously gain access to a document management system, a [[Definition:Rating engine | rating engine]], and a [[Definition:Premium | premium]] accounting interface without re-entering credentials. Many [[Definition:Insurtech | insurtech]] platforms and modern core system vendors design their products to integrate with enterprise identity providers from the outset, recognizing that insurance organizations increasingly operate hybrid technology estates spanning legacy on-premises systems and cloud-based solutions.

💼 Beyond convenience, SSO carries significant security and governance implications for insurers. Centralizing authentication reduces the proliferation of passwords across systems — a major vulnerability vector in an industry that handles vast quantities of sensitive personal and financial data subject to regulations like GDPR, HIPAA (for U.S. health insurers), and various [[Definition:National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) | NAIC]] data security model laws. When an employee departs or changes roles, a single deactivation at the identity provider level instantly revokes access to every connected system, closing a gap that manual deprovisioning across dozens of platforms would leave open for days or weeks. For [[Definition:Insurance broker | brokers]] and carriers participating in platforms like the London market's [[Definition:Placing Platform Limited (PPL) | electronic placement]] systems or pan-Asian [[Definition:Insurance exchange | exchange]] portals, federated SSO enables cross-organizational access while keeping each entity's identity governance intact — a practical necessity in an industry defined by complex multi-party relationships.

'''Related concepts:'''
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Definition:Role-based access control (RBAC)]]
* [[Definition:Cyber insurance]]
* [[Definition:Data governance]]
* [[Definition:Application programming interface (API)]]
* [[Definition:Cloud computing]]
* [[Definition:Information security]]
{{Div col end}}

Definition:Single sign-on (SSO) - Revision history

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