Standards you’ll use every day
| Standard | Purpose | Core Docs |
|---|---|---|
| SAML 2.0 | Federated SSO with signed XML assertions | OASIS SAML 2.0 |
| OAuth 2.0 | Delegated authorization (scopes, access tokens) | RFC 6749, 6750 |
| OpenID Connect 1.0 | Authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 | OIDC Core, Discovery, Dynamic Reg |
| JOSE (JWS/JWE/JWK) | Signing and encryption for JWTs | RFC 7515–7518 |
Tip: Prefer OIDC for browser-based auth today; use SAML where heritage vendors or SaaS require it.