What does a user receive after entering their SSO credentials into ADFS?

After entering their Single Sign-On (SSO) credentials into Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), a user receives a SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) assertion from the AD server.

This SAML assertion acts as a security token that provides proof of the user's authentication and authorizes access to various services or applications. When integrated with AWS, for instance, the SAML assertion allows for seamless access to AWS resources without needing to manage a separate set of credentials specific to AWS. The assertion includes necessary claims about the user, such as their identity and any relevant attributes that may be used for authorization purposes.

Understanding this interaction is crucial, especially in environments where federated authentication is employed. It highlights the role of ADFS in enabling SSO across different applications and ensuring secure and efficient access management.