SAML SSO for AI Security Gateway: Enterprise Authentication in Under 10 Minutes
Every enterprise security review hits the same question:
“How do employees authenticate to the AI governance dashboard? Is it federated with our identity provider? Can we enforce MFA through our existing policies?”
Until now, the answer for most AI gateways was “email and password.” That's a non-starter for any organization with centralized identity management. It means yet another credential to manage, no MFA enforcement through your IdP, and no automatic deprovisioning when someone leaves the company.
SAML SSO for AI Security Gateway fixes this. Connect your Okta, Azure AD (Entra ID), Google Workspace, or any SAML 2.0 identity provider — and your team authenticates to the AI governance dashboard the same way they access every other enterprise tool.
The Problem: Shadow Accounts in AI Governance
AI gateways are security-critical infrastructure. They hold your provider API keys, DLP policies, budget limits, and audit logs. Yet most AI gateways authenticate users with standalone email/password accounts that exist outside your identity perimeter:
- ✗No centralized deprovisioning — when an employee leaves, their AI gateway account stays active until someone remembers to delete it
- ✗No MFA enforcement — your IdP enforces FIDO2/TOTP, but the AI gateway accepts password-only login
- ✗Audit gaps — logins don't appear in your IdP's audit log, breaking SOC 2 evidence requirements
- ✗Password fatigue — another credential means another vector for phishing and credential stuffing
The Solution: Federated SSO for AI Governance
AI Security Gateway now supports SAML 2.0 Single Sign-On through any compliant identity provider. Your team logs into the AI governance dashboard the same way they access Salesforce, GitHub, or Jira — through your organization's identity provider.
Okta
SAML 2.0 app with attribute mapping. Setup time: ~5 minutes.
Azure AD / Entra ID
Enterprise application with SAML SSO configuration. Setup time: ~8 minutes.
Google Workspace
Custom SAML app in the Admin Console. Setup time: ~5 minutes.
Any SAML 2.0 identity provider works — OneLogin, PingIdentity, JumpCloud, Keycloak. If it speaks SAML, it connects to AI Security Gateway.
How It Works: The Login Flow
User enters email — on the AI Security Gateway login page
Domain check — the system looks up the email domain against configured SSO connections
SSO redirect — if the domain matches, the user is redirected to their IdP (Okta, Azure AD, etc.)
SAML assertion — the IdP authenticates the user (with MFA if configured) and returns a signed assertion
Session created — AI Security Gateway validates the assertion, creates a session, and auto-provisions the user if they don't exist
The entire flow typically completes in under 3 seconds in most deployments. No new passwords to create, no invitation emails to send. If a user exists in your IdP and their email domain is configured for SSO, they can access the AI governance dashboard immediately.
Automatic User Provisioning
When SSO is enabled, AI Security Gateway automatically provisions users on their first login. No manual account creation, no invitation workflows:
What happens on first SSO login
- User account created automatically
- Assigned the default role (configurable: viewer, member, or admin)
- Added to the organization
- Full dashboard access — no waiting for approval
What you control
- Enforce SSO — block email/password login entirely
- Allowed domains — restrict which email domains can authenticate
- Default role — set the role for auto-provisioned users
- Auto-provision toggle — disable to require manual account creation
Configuration: Three Steps
Setting up SSO takes under 10 minutes. The wizard walks you through three steps:
1. Create a SAML app in your IdP
Use these service provider details: • ACS URL: https://api.aisecuritygateway.ai/sso/api/oauth/saml • Entity ID: https://aisecuritygateway.ai • Required attribute: email • Optional attributes: firstName, lastName
2. Provide metadata to AI Security Gateway
Either paste the Metadata URL from your IdP (recommended — changes auto-sync) or upload the XML directly. The wizard validates the metadata before saving.
3. Configure organization settings
Set allowed email domains, choose the default role for new users, and optionally enforce SSO-only login (blocks email/password for all users in the org).
Compliance Impact
SAML SSO directly addresses multiple compliance requirements:
| Framework | Requirement | How SSO Helps |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 | CC6.1 — Logical access controls | Centralized authentication through verified IdP |
| HIPAA | §164.312(d) — Person authentication | MFA enforced through IdP policies |
| ISO 27001 | A.9.2.1 — User registration | Auto-provisioning eliminates manual account management |
| NIST 800-53 | IA-2 — Identification and Authentication | Federated identity with multi-factor support |
Architecture: How It's Built
The SSO implementation uses BoxyHQ SAML Jackson — an open-source SAML-to-OAuth bridge — running as a dedicated isolated service. This architecture provides several guarantees:
Isolated Service
Jackson runs in its own container. A vulnerability in the SAML processing stack can't affect the proxy or admin API.
No Assertion Storage
SAML assertions are validated and consumed in-flight. No XML blobs are persisted to any datastore.
Multi-Tenant Routing
Each organization has its own SAML connection. Domain-based routing ensures users reach the correct IdP.
Encrypted Storage
Connection metadata is encrypted at rest. No filesystem dependencies, no local state.
FAQ
Can I use SSO and email/password login at the same time?
Yes, by default both are available. Enable "Enforce SSO" to block email/password login for all users in the organization.
What happens if I remove a user from my IdP?
They can no longer authenticate via SSO. If "Enforce SSO" is enabled, they lose all access immediately. Their account and audit history are preserved.
Does SSO work with the Hybrid VPC deployment?
Yes. The dashboard authentication is separate from the proxy data plane. SSO controls who can manage policies and view analytics — it doesn't affect how API keys authenticate proxy requests.
Can different organizations in the same account use different IdPs?
Yes. Each organization has its own SAML connection. One org can use Okta while another uses Azure AD.
Is SCIM provisioning supported?
Not yet. Auto-provisioning on first SSO login handles most use cases. SCIM is on the roadmap for organizations that need pre-provisioning and group sync.
Ready to connect your identity provider?
SAML SSO is available on the Enterprise plan. Connect Okta, Azure AD, or any SAML 2.0 IdP in under 10 minutes.
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