{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blog-list-template-js","path":"/65","result":{"data":{"allMarkdownRemark":{"edges":[{"node":{"excerpt":"OAuth stands for Open Authorization. It's a process through which an application or website can access private data from another website. It…","fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-oauth/"},"html":"

OAuth stands for Open Authorization. It's a process through which an application or website can access private data from another website. It provides applications the ability to \"secure designated access.\" For example, you can tell Google that it's OK for abc.com to access your Google account or contact without having to give abc.com your Google password.

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OAuth never shares password data but instead uses authorization tokens to prove an identity between consumers and service providers. OAuth is an authentication protocol that allows you to approve one application interacting with another on your behalf without giving away your password.

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To understand this, let's take the example of Facebook. When an app on Facebook asks you to share your profile and pictures, Facebook acts as a service provider: it has your data and image, and that app is a consumer. If you want to do something with your picture with the help of this app, you need to provide permission to this app to access your images, which the OAuth manages in the background.

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How Does the OAuth2.0 Work

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\n \n \n

\n

The following explains the working of the above sequence diagram of Oauth 2.0 implementation:

\n
    \n
  1. Let's assume the client requests authorization to access protected resources owned by the resource owner by redirecting the client to the authorization server.
    2. \n
  2. The resource access request is authenticated and authorized by the resource owner from the web application, and the authorization grant is returned to the client by an authorized endpoint.
    3. \n
  3. There are four types of Grant Protocol defined by OAuth 2.0: Authorization Code, Client Credentials, Device Code, and Refresh Token.
    4. \n
  4. The client requests the access token from the authorization server by presenting the authorization grant returned from the authorized endpoint and authentication of its own identity to the token endpoint. A token endpoint is a URL such as https://your_domain/oauth2/token.
    5. \n
  5. The access token will be issued to the client for valid authentication and authorization grant by the authorization server or authentication provider.
    6. \n
  6. By presenting the access token for authentication, the client can request the protected resources from the resource server.
    7. \n
  7. The requested resources are returned to the application (client) with the valid access token from the resource server.
    8. \n
\n

Also Read: Guide to Authorization Code Flow for OAuth 2.0

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Why You Should be Using OAuth

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OAuth provides applications the ability to secure designated access. In the traditional method, before OAuth, sites ask for the username and password combination for login and use the same credentials to access your data.

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With OAuth flow, instead of sending the username and password to the server with each request, the consumer sends an API key ID and secret. In this scenario, the consumer communicates to their identity provider for access. The identity provider generates an encrypted, signed token that grants the application access by authenticating the consumer. This process works on trust between the Identity Provider and the application. It will create a better interface for web applications.

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Working with OAuth Token & Scope

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The authorization server authenticates the client and validates the authorization grant, and if valid, issues a token known as an **access token. **It must be kept confidential and in storage. This access token should only be seen by the application, authorization, and resource server. The application makes sure that the storage of the access token can not be readable to other applications on the same device.

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The OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol defines the following methods to receive the Access Token. These Flows are called grant types. So you can decide the grant types as per the use case or it is based mainly on the type of your application.

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The following are the five types of grants described to perform authorizations tasks. Those are

\n\n

The scope specifies the level of access that the application is requesting from the client. An application can request one or more scopes. This information is then presented to the consumer on the consent screen. The access token issued to the application will be limited to the scopes granted. Consent tells your consumers who is requesting access to their data and what kind of data you're asking to access.

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Blending OAuth with LoginRadius

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LoginRadius Identity Platform supports standard OAuth 2.0 specs to integrate your OAuth client with LoginRadius. Thus, you can allow your application's customers to log in to an OAuth-enabled application without creating an account. This document goes over the complete process of getting the SSO feature implemented with OAuth 2.0.

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Conclusion

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This article talked about OAuth 2.0 as an authorization framework for delegated access to web APIs. This feature grants the resource access to the consumer without exposing their password to their application. However, before implementing any functionality on your website, analyze and consider the pros and cons from every possible angle.

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Cheers!

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\n \n \n

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 23, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":" OAuth is an open standard for authorization. It lets users authorize third-party access to their servers without handing out their username and password. Read this blog to also find about OAuth 2.0 as an authorization framework for delegated access to web APIs.","title":"Everything You Need to Know About OAuth and How it Works","tags":["security"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6260162601626016,"src":"/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/14b42/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/f836f/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/2244e/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/14b42/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/16310/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vaibhav Jain","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Prerequisites You should know the basics of Vim beforehand. You may refer to a previous blog Vim: Getting started. This tutorial explores…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/guest-post/vim-level-up/"},"html":"

Prerequisites

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You should know the basics of Vim beforehand. You may refer to a previous blog Vim: Getting started.

\n

This tutorial explores the following concepts:

\n\n

In addition, this tutorial explores a few other tips and tricks. It is not uncommon for folks who have been using Vim for a long time and not being familiar with these handy, useful features.

\n

Macros

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You don't want to miss out on macros if you want to level up your Vim game. Vim macro is a powerful feature that allows you to record a sequence of keys on the fly. It helps you to automate a lot of stuff.

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Macros are based on the concept of registers. If you don't know what registers are, you can think of them as a bunch of spaces in memory that Vim uses to store some text.

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Macros are editable registers, which you can record, store, and edit whenever you want.

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Here's the basic syntax of macros:

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q<key you want to record your macro into><series of commands>q
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Example:

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q1f;xq
\n

Let's break it down for you:

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q : Starts recording a macro
\n1 : The recorded macro will be stored on key 1
\nf;x : Find the first occurrence of ;in that line and delete ;
\nq : stop recording the macro

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That's it. Now, you can use this macro by @<your key> i.e @1

\n

If you want to repeat a macro n number of times, then n@1is the syntax.

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Use Case

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Not impressed yet? Huhh! Let's show you a practical use case to demonstrate the power of a macro. I work in ReactJs a lot and like to export all my components in one file. Let's try exporting 99 HeroBlocks in one go.

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The desired result is:

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export {default as HeroBlock1 } from './HeroBlock1/HeroBlock1.js'\nexport {default as HeroBlock2 } from './HeroBlock1/HeroBlock2.js'\nexport {default as HeroBlock3 } from './HeroBlock1/HeroBlock3.js'\n...\n..\nso on
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Perform vim index.js

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And, write this line:

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export {default as HeroBlock1 } from './HeroBlock1/HeroBlock1.js'

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Now, follow along:

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q1yyp4E ^A6e ^Aq

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Breaking it down:

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q1 : Start recording a macro in key 1.
\nyy : yank the current line.
\np : paste the yanked line.
\n4E : Get the cursor to 1 of Heroblock1. (f1 might be tempting but it will give you wrong results as not all lines will have 1, they can have any number. Try making the macro very generalized.)
\n^A : this is ctrl + a. It increments the current version by one.
\n6e : Get the cursor to the second number.
\n^A : increment the number by one.
\nq : stop recording.

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Now, to repeat your macro 99 times:

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99@1

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And that's all.

\n

\n \n \n

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Buffers & Splitting

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In simple terms, a buffer is a file that has been loaded into memory. Everything you do in Vim is in a buffer. You can list all the buffers by :buffers. And then, if you want to check out a particular buffer, use :b n -- where n is the buffer number.

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If you want to delete a buffer, use :bd n is the command.

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To create a new buffer in the same view -- creating a split in the current window -- use :sp filename.

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For a vertical split, use :vsp filename.

\n
\n

To be honest, using buffer numbers to switch buffers is not what I prefer to do. I prefer to switch based on what I see, like ctrl-w then jto focus on a buffer below if I'm splitting the window. :tabprevious to move a tab on the left if I'm using tabs.

\n
\n

Here are some key bindings you might want to use for a smooth workflow.

\n
nnoremap <C-t> :tabnew<CR>\nnnoremap <C-Left> :tabprevious<CR>\nnnoremap <C-Right> :tabnext<CR>\nnnoremap <C-J>  <C-W><C-J>\nnnoremap <C-K>  <C-W><C-K>\nnnoremap <C-L>  <C-W><C-L>\nnnoremap <C-H>  <C-W><C-H>
\n

Global Command

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The global command in Vim is very powerful and will solve a lot of your problems quickly.

\n

The basic syntax goes something as follows:

\n
:[range]global/{pattern}/{command}
\n

Let's go through some use cases to learn more about it.

\n

The following will delete any line containing the word console in the entire file:

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:g/console/d
\n

The following will delete any line between line 10-20 containing the word console in it:

\n
:10,20g/console/d
\n

You can even do the inverse of it by using :g!

\n

The following will delete any line not containing the word console in it in the entire file:

\n
:g!/console/d
\n

You can even combine the two.

\n

The following will delete any line containing console and not containing hello in it in the entire file.

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The global command can work on any regular expression, which makes it even more powerful, provided you're creative enough...

\n
:g/console/g!/Hello/d
\n

The following will delete any line starting with # i.e., comments in python will be deleted in one go:

\n
:g/^#/d
\n

So far, we've been using d as the command, but it can be anything else like m for move t for copy etc.

\n

One of the very powerful commands is norm. This command allows you to do anything that would have worked in normal mode.

\n

The following will comment out all the print statements in a python code in one go.

\n
:g/print/norm I#
\n

The global command can be coupled with macros using norm, which means you can apply a macro to certain lines matching the regex given. This was enough to blow my mind, and it made the time I spent reading about Vim worthy.

\n

Here's the syntax for using macros with global commands:

\n
:g/const/normal @q
\n

You Made It

\n

Congratulations! You made it this far. You now have leveled up your Vim game. All these tips and tricks will eventually be useful to you. Here's a little something for reading this far: Pintovim You can use this tool to make your own customized Vim color scheme.

\n

Thanks for reading!

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 23, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"Vim is Vi's newest and most common reincarnation, which is supported on every known platform. Go through this tutorial to learn about what Vim is and how to make the most out of it.","title":"How to Upgrade Your Vim Skills","tags":["Vim","Text Editor","UNIX"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/0e8a15779baa24ee0c8d1487ce2f4794/ee604/Vim.png","srcSet":"/static/0e8a15779baa24ee0c8d1487ce2f4794/69585/Vim.png 200w,\n/static/0e8a15779baa24ee0c8d1487ce2f4794/497c6/Vim.png 400w,\n/static/0e8a15779baa24ee0c8d1487ce2f4794/ee604/Vim.png 800w,\n/static/0e8a15779baa24ee0c8d1487ce2f4794/f3583/Vim.png 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Shubhankar Khare","github":"iamshubhankarkhare","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Excellent customer experiences motivate people to become regular consumers. The main goal of any company is to put itself in the customer’s…","fields":{"slug":"/growth/how-to-improve-the-customer-xperience/"},"html":"

Excellent customer experiences motivate people to become regular consumers. The main goal of any company is to put itself in the customer’s shoes. An improved user experience brings more leads that will convert into clients and the opportunity to increase your customer base.

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\n \n \n

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Note that your perfect customer experience depends on numerous factors. These are positive feedback, brand awareness, a good reputation, the SEO-friendliness of your website, and many more.

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According to a Business2Community survey, customer experience (CX) should be improved for three core reasons:

\n\n

Additionally, your company will be able to generate more revenue via customer acquisition by renewing and upselling to your standing customers.

\n

\n \n \n

\n

Overview of the CX Evolution (2017-2020)

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Before exploring the latest tips for improving customer experience, let’s check the evolution of consumer demands and the CX trends of previous years.

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2017

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Zendesk found that about 88% of consumers always share their bad experiences with other people, while 87% of satisfied customers shared recommendations on ecommerce companies that provided an excellent experience.

\n

2018

\n

According to a Gartner survey, the focus on CX was predicted for 2019. Three hundred respondents proved that user experience matters and are willing to interact with a company if they were delighted with their first experience.

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2019

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Accenture found that about 86% of companies are searching for alternative ways to improve their CX because traditional experiences no longer bring high customer satisfaction.

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2020

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According to Gartner's research, about 35% of companies optimized the customer journey and focused on their omnichannel experiences. The survey report also includes the latest statistics on modern consumers: more than 25% of present-day customers get used to virtual assistants and prefer online interactions through chatbots.

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2021 is the year of new trends in the context of customer experience. Marketers, SEO specialists, and business representatives should take into account the latest statistics provided by Zendesk:

\n
    \n
  1. Spotless CX is the reason to purchase/order/interact/cooperate one more time for about 75% of present-day consumers.
    2. \n
  2. 64% of today’s customers switched to social messaging as a new communication + customer service channel.
    3. \n
  3. 75% of companies have already implemented digital tech solutions, and 43% of ecommerce companies worldwide converted their business and CX into fully remote entities.
    4. \n
\n

If you are interested in the best practices that will come in handy for improving CX, read these expert tips and improve client impressions when interacting with them.

\n

7 Top Expert Tips for CX Improvement in 2021

\n

If you still have not digitized your business, it is time to do it right now. Start with your website and social media network accounts. Your site should be mobile-friendly because about 70% of global traffic is generated via mobile device screens.

\n

\n \n \n \nBesides the technical aspects that affect user experience, seven others are described in the following expert tips. Having implemented these approaches into practice, your CX will become significantly improved according to 2021 trends.

\n

#1 Understand Who Are Your Customers

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Your task is to initiate the mouth-to-mouth recommendation cycle. For this purpose, you need to know who your customers are and improve their loyalty to your company, its goods, and services. First, you need to put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. Think like the client who would like to interact with your company. Then, it is necessary to use any CRM tool to analyze your customer data and accurately determine the client’s profile and purchasing behavior.

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For improved customer loyalty with a guaranteed individual approach, you can split your consumers into several groups. It is a CX-driven idea because your target audience can have various needs and require diversified products. For example, the all-in-one SEO platform Seranking provides a personal touch by segmenting its customers. Customers are divided into four groups and offered a special-purpose pack of SEO services:

\n\n

\n \n \n

\n

The main idea of the multichannel approach is to provide many customer service channels that are not linked to each other. It means that social media networks, websites, online shops, and call centers are not synchronized. But omnichannel CX infers that all these multiple channels are connected.

\n

To strengthen the omnichannel customer experience, tie in a CX-driven combination of all your strategies and approaches in the context of:

\n\n

A good example of omnichannel CX is the pharmaceutical brand Walgreens. Brand communication takes place via a mobile-friendly app. The shopping experience is improved with the help of convenient digital features such as refilling prescriptions virtually, setting up reminders and notifications. The app saves customers time because they do not need to visit the pharmacy to get medications.

\n

\n \n \n

\n

Simplified interactions and virtual communication is in high demand today and are highly appreciated by consumers and increases Walgreens’ customer retention.

\n

#3 Optimize the Customer Journey

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The customer journey is a full cycle that takes place from the first interaction of your consumer up to the final experience. To ensure that you have provided your clients with high-level loyalty, the customer journey should be smooth without pitfalls and challenges. Nevertheless, according to an Econsultancy report, about 50% of companies still have no idea what the customer journey is. The lifecycle consists of the following stages:

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    \n
  1. Out-of-the-market – The potential client has just found some information about the company (through Internet channels like social media, advertising, websites, newsletters, or a physical store).
    2. \n
  2. Trigger – This phase is notable with interest to the company because of any trigger (sales, special offers, an invitation to any event, etc.). Potential consumers analyze these opportunities and progress to the next customer journey stage.
    3. \n
  3. Initial brand consideration – When interest arises, the user searches for some information about the brand (reviews, location of retail shops, websites, etc.). Any negative information can stop the journey here.
    4. \n
  4. Evaluation – This stage is crucial for SaaS projects that offer free trials and demos. Only in this phase, a potential customer is willing to try your services. If a free-of-charge package satisfies the user, it is more likely that the one will purchase your product.
    5. \n
  5. Decision-making – It is necessary to provide the best customer service at this stage and be sure that the customer has no hurdles. If some questions arise, the customer support team should react immediately.
    6. \n
  6. Experience – When an order is completed, the customer gets an experience. Your task is to turn it into the most positive one. When it comes to SaaS, customer support services should be rendered even after a software release.
    7. \n
  7. Loyalty – An utterly positive experience means that the client will likely repeat the purchase and recommend your product. Encourage loyal customers to submit thankful reviews that will improve your reputation, brand awareness, and search rankings.
    8. \n
\n

\n \n \n

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Tips for Customer Journey Optimization

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To optimize your customer journey, you need to map out each step and the processes associated with them. Here is a list of ways for full-cycle optimization:

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Phase

\n

Company’s Touchpoints

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Out-of-the-market

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    \n
  1. Run a website audit to make it SEO-friendly and climb the search results.
    2. \n
  2. Synchronize a social media network account with the website and other online channels.
    3. \n
  3. Involve blog posters and search for publishers and market experts to promote your services.
    4. \n
  4. Optimize the strategy for a sound online presence.
    5. \n
\n

Trigger

\n
    \n
  1. Provide special offers like promo codes, discounts, in-person newsletters, etc.
    2. \n
  2. Specify short time limits for any triggers to gain consumer attention.
    3. \n
  3. Motivate people to share your content and promos (Instagram reposts, Facebook giveaways, bigger discounts for recommendations).
    4. \n
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Evaluation

\n
    \n
  1. Be sure that your SEO strategy is brand-focused.
    2. \n
  2. Keep track of reviews that form your reputation on the Internet.
    3. \n
  3. Engage loyal clients to leave reviews.
    4. \n
  4. Be sure that you provide enough contact information for each online channel.
    5. \n
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Decision-making

\n
    \n
  1. Provide immediate reactions to user requests.
    2. \n
  2. Optimize your call centers and online management departments.
    3. \n
  3. Add a chatbox to the website.
    4. \n
  4. Add a 24/7 customer support channel (it might be the only way to communicate - email, chatbox, calls).
    5. \n
\n

Experience

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    \n
  1. Allow potential customers to order services or products in various ways (website, social media, online shop, marketplaces).
    2. \n
  2. Provide various payment methods.
    3. \n
  3. Proceed with fast order processing and provide 24/7 customer support.
    4. \n
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Loyalty

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    \n
  1. Create a loyalty program for existing customers.
    2. \n
  2. Send newsletters to loyal clients.
    3. \n
  3. Notify about updates, changes, and recent news.
    4. \n
  4. Reward orders from loyal clients with bonuses.
    5. \n
  5. Engage in the word-of-mouth recommendations with discounts.
    6. \n
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Finish with a gap analysis to fix all the challenging phases. If your customer cycle is well-thought-out, you will not lose potential consumers. All generated traffic will be converted into new clients and sales.

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#4 Build a Community

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The rule of a great CX-driven online community is the desire for your loyal customers to promote your company and its services. Engage people to join your Internet club of like-minded people, offer them goodies like bonuses and referral points, and force them to share your brand through different online channels.

\n

For example, Inkbox consists of a community with millions (2 million) of followers. This company makes it a priority of tattooing and shares all completed work on the Internet. The community was created around the popular Instagram hashtag #tattoosfornow. People throughout the world shared beautiful photos with tattoos and grew the community.

\n

\n \n \n \n\n \n \n

\n
    \n
  1. Use reviews to prove your reputation on other online communication channels (social media platforms, forums, blogs).
    2. \n
  2. Use client testimonials in newsletters and for other email marketing purposes. This way, you will increase the chances that your letter will be read and taken into consideration.
    3. \n
\n

\n \n \n

\n
    \n
  1. Add reviews to your video marketing materials. You can use screenshots of some eye-catching and detailed testimonials in your advertising videos.
    2. \n
  2. Analyze your customer satisfaction rates with the help of the percentages that rank positive, neutral, and negative reviews. For example, you can offer short online surveys to get more reviews after any customer journey stage (especially at the last two) and measure them. Here is a set of survey templates by NiceReply.
    3. \n
\n

\n \n \n

\n

#6 Personalize Your Content

\n

According to Harvard Business Review, online users appreciate a high personalized marketing experience. It does not relate only to personalized email letters and promotions sent via messengers and SMS. You can improve your CX with personalized content on your website. For example, you can add some special features that correspond to your niche and increase the number of leads this way.

\n

Spotify decided to launch the option “Discover Weekly” for this purpose. A personalized playlist is generated according to the listener’s preferences. Some users like this option, while some Spotify fans dislike it. Nevertheless, this is a way to promote a personalized approach and show each customer your meaningful marketing strategy.

\n

\n \n \n

\n

Having implemented tech solutions to protect client accounts, your company strengthens its brand awareness, improves reputation and loyalty. Usually, the most challenging aspects for customers are the security of personal data and online payments. Your task in the context of CX improvement is to maintain privacy and guarantee safe transactions.

\n

Final Words

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Your CX strategy should meet customer requirements and your business goals. Customer experience is a proven way to develop high retention, cross-sales, and up-sales. If people decide to come back and recommend your products, this is a good sign for your company. An improved user experience benefits SEO, brand awareness, and generally the online presence of your business. 2021 requires marketers, entrepreneurs, and SEO specialists to demonstrate an omnichannel CX approach with comprehensive security, reviews, and customer journey strategies.

\n

\n \n \n

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 22, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"If you are interested in the best practices that will come in handy for improving customer experience, read these expert tips and improve client impressions when interacting with them.","title":"7 Expert Tips on How to Improve the Customer Experience","tags":null,"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6666666666666667,"src":"/static/d60c3bff962767b0af0a7ff5eefb7caf/eec3f/consumer-exp-cover-page.jpg","srcSet":"/static/d60c3bff962767b0af0a7ff5eefb7caf/f836f/consumer-exp-cover-page.jpg 200w,\n/static/d60c3bff962767b0af0a7ff5eefb7caf/2244e/consumer-exp-cover-page.jpg 400w,\n/static/d60c3bff962767b0af0a7ff5eefb7caf/eec3f/consumer-exp-cover-page.jpg 612w","sizes":"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px"}}},"author":{"id":"Alyse Falk","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Decentralized authentication simply means that there is no central authority needed to verify your identity, i.e., decentralized identifiers…","fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-decentralized-authentication/"},"html":"

Decentralized authentication simply means that there is no central authority needed to verify your identity, i.e., decentralized identifiers. DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) are a special type of identifier that allows for decentralized, verified digital identification. A DID is any subject identified by the DID's controller (e.g., a person, organization, thing, data model, abstract entity, etc.).

\n

DIDs, unlike traditional federated identifiers, are designed to be independent of centralized registries, identity providers, and certificate authorities.

\n

What is the Decentralized Identity Model

\n

So, what is Decentralized Authentication, and how to achieve it? Let us try to understand it with an example. Say you move to a new country, so now, you need to verify your identity once again to every service provider to give them proof that you are the right person and not a fraud.

\n

You must register for various services, including voting, obtaining a driver's license, banking, receiving electricity, and paying for entertainment subscriptions. To open an account, you must currently register with each service provider separately and prove your identification.

\n

But decentralized authentication simplifies this process. You only have to authenticate your identification to a neutral third party once, and the proof of your identity is saved in an identity trust fabric (ITF). The ITF and its supporting infrastructure (i.e., decentralized identity network, services, and verified claim exchange protocols) act as a middleman between you and your service providers, handling all identification and access requests.

\n

How to Achieve Decentralized Authentication

\n

When we think of decentralization, the first word that comes to our mind is \"Blockchain\". The introduction of blockchain as a technology for implementing a decentralized and tamper-evident shared-ledger allows for new research into establishing a common trust domain.

\n

At the moment, distributed ledger technology is a viable means to construct an ITF. It provides a decentralized and relatively safe way to store and verify the proof of IDs for identities (and associated profile attributes).

\n

As of now, blockchain technology is an interesting approach to decentralized authentication. But, blockchain isn't really built for the speed and scale you'd normally associate with enterprise tech. And that's not to say business leaders should be ignoring this stuff. There's an actual sense that client stress is going to be a critical driving force around self-sovereign identity — wherein people call for that they manipulate how their private statistics are shared.

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Although blockchain is one promising avenue for decentralized identity, it is far from the only one. Many of the most powerful concepts behind decentralized identity can be implemented without the use of blockchain. So, we should always be looking for an alternative.

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How Will It Be Used

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In one simple example, someone creates a couple of personal and public keys in an identification wallet. The public key (identifier) is hashed and saved immutably in an ITF. A dependent third party then proves the person's identification and certifies it by signing with its non-public key.

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The certification report is likewise saved within the ITF. If the person desires to get admission to a carrier, it's sufficient to give its identifier within the shape of a QR code or inside a token. The provider company verifies the identification with the aid of evaluating the hash values of identifiers with their corresponding hash facts within the ITF.

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If they match, admission is granted. In greater ideal scenarios, the person can derive separate key pairs from a non-public key to generate separate identifiers for one-of-a-kind relationships to allow privacy-pleasant protocols.

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How Decentralized Authentication is Influencing Industries

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Businesses and industries that understand and capture the possibility to apply rising standardized decentralized identification technology for client identification control will create a long-time period of aggressive gain. It permits them to leapfrog the opposition and preserve their lead some distance into the future.

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This main area will come from having a holistic approach to identification control that encompasses identification, security, and privacy. For the companies with the foresight to embody them, decentralized identification technology will:

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We know that Decentralized Authentication is the key to advancing in the future, and now it depends on how we try to implement it. Some problems may arise, but we never move ahead in the game/life if we are not up for a challenge.

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\n \n \n

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 21, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"Decentralized Authentication is the key to advancing in the future, and now it depends on how you try to implement it. This blog explains what decentralization means for the next wave of business security.","title":"Decentralized Authentication: What Is It And How It Is Changing the Industry","tags":["security"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.694915254237288,"src":"/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/14b42/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/f836f/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/2244e/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/14b42/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/16310/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"OpenID Connect has brought a revolution in the authentication process and ascended by leaps and bounds. It is primarily used in the single…","fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-openid-connect/"},"html":"

OpenID Connect has brought a revolution in the authentication process and ascended by leaps and bounds. It is primarily used in the single sign-on (SSO) and identity provision on the web. The main reason behind its success is the JSON-based ID tokens (JWT) delivered via the OAuth 2.0 process flow.

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Firstly, let’s have a quick look at OAuth 2.0.

\n

Often referred to as authorization or delegation protocol, it is a security standard where you authorize an application to access your data, or use features in another application on your behalf, without giving them your password.

\n

In simple terms, it provides applications the ability to “secure designated access.” OAuth never shares password data but instead uses authorization tokens to prove an identity between consumers and service providers. OAuth is an authentication protocol that allows you to approve one application interacting with another on your behalf without giving away your password.

\n

What is OpenID Connect (OIDC)

\n

Now, let us learn about OpenID Connect. It is an OpenID Foundation (OIDF) standard that leverage OAuth 2.0 process flow to add an identity layer in order to obtain basic profile information about the End-User in an interoperable and REST-like manner or verify the identity of the End-User on the basis of the authentication done by an Authorization Server or Identity Provider (IDP).

\n

OpenID Connect supports clients of all types, including web-based, mobile, and JavaScript clients, to request and receive information about authenticated sessions and end-users. By implementing OpenID Connect, leveraging OAuth 2.0 fabricates a unified framework that promises mobile native applications, secure APIs, and browser applications in a single, cohesive architecture.

\n

What OpenID Connect Solves

\n

It is a very common practice to deploy the same password across multiple applications and websites. Since the traditional credentials are not centrally administered, if the security of any website that you use is compromised, a hacker could gain access to your password across multiple sites.

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Here comes OpenID connect in the picture as it never shares a password with any website. Even then, if a compromise does occur, you can immediately prevent any malicious access to your accounts at any website by simply changing the password for your OpenID Connect.

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Also Read: Add Authentication to Play Framework With OIDC and LoginRadius

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How OpenID Connect Works

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Before proceeding further, let’s have a look at some of the terminologies:

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    \n
  1. Client: The client is the application that’s trying to access the user’s account. It needs to get permission from the user before accessing the account. For example, a client application can present the user with the login page to get an access token for access to a particular resource.
    2. \n
  2. Authorization Server: The authorization server validates the user credentials and redirects the user back to the client with an authorization code. The client communicates with the authorization server to confirm its identity and exchanges the code for an access token.
    3. \n
  3. Scope: It specifies the level of access that the application is requesting from the client.
    4. \n
  4. Claims: It constitutes the payload part of a JSON web token and represents a set of information exchanged between two parties.
    5. \n
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The application begins with an OAuth 2.0 flow that asks the user to authorize a request. As part of the flow, the client will include the OpenID Connect scope with scopes for any additional information it wants about the user. As the request is processed, the client receives an access token and an ID token issued by the authorization server. The ID token contains claims that have information about the user.

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The SSO is implemented by delivering ID tokens from the authorization server to the client. The client then contacts a dedicated endpoint on the authorization server known as the UserInfo endpoint to receive the remaining claims about the user using the access token.

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It is this ID token which is also known as the JSON Web Token (JWT), which contains claims, which are nothing but statements (like an email address or name) about an entity (the user) and some additional metadata.

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The OpenID Connect specification has a defined set of standard claims. The set of standard claims include name, email, gender, birth date, and so on. However, if you want to capture information about a user and there currently isn’t a standard claim that best reflects this piece of information, you can create custom claims and add them to your tokens.

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\n \n \n

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For instance, let us say you want to use OpenID Connect to authenticate the user for your own application using Google’s OAuth URL.

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\n \n \n

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Step 1: On clicking the sign-in button, you are required to pass a few parameters like scope, **which is a space-delimited list of scopes, **response_type having the value code, client_id having the client identifier, redirect_uri having the client redirect URI, and state having a random string.

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Step 2: The OpenID provider authenticates users for a particular application instance.

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Step 3: A one-time-use code is passed back to the client using a predefined Redirect URI.

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Step 4: The user interface can then share this temporary code with the server

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Step 5: The server can exchange this code in order to get access to the user’s profile.

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Here, technically speaking, you are not only getting the user profile but an Access Token and an ID Token having all the details of the user’s profile.

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OpenID Connect vs OpenID 2.0

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OpenID Connect performs various tasks similar to OpenID 2.0, but it does so in such a way that it is API-friendly and usable by mobile and native applications. OpenID Connect defines optional mechanisms for encryption and robust signing. In OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 capabilities are integrated with the protocol itself, whereas the integration of OAuth 1.0a and OpenID 2.0 requires an extension.

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OpenID Connect and OpenID 2.0 have many architectural similarities. Furthermore, a very similar set of problems are solved by the protocols. However, OpenID 2.0 uses XML and a custom message signature scheme. Their implementations would sometimes abnormally refrain from interoperating. OAuth 2.0, leveraged by OpenID Connect, outsources the required encryption to the web’s built-in TLS (also called SSL or HTTPS) infrastructure, which is implemented on both client and server platforms universally. When signatures are required, OpenID Connect uses standard JSON Web Token (JWT) data structures. For this reason, OpenID Connect is easier for developers to implement, and when implemented, it results in much better interoperability.

\n

The story of OpenID Connect interoperability has been proven in practice when an extended series of interoperability trials were conducted by members of the OpenID Connect Working Group and the developers behind numerous OpenID Connect implementations.

\n

Conclusion

\n

OpenID Connect, its predecessors, and other public-key-encryption-based authentication frameworks guarantee the security of the complete internet by having the responsibility for user identity verification in the hands of the most trusted and reliable service providers. If compared with the one which is available earlier, OpenID Connect is a way easier approach to implement and integrate and is expected to achieve a much-outspread acceptance.

\n

Cheers!

\n

\n \n \n

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 21, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"This article discusses the basics of OpenID Connect. Its components, and strengths as well as implementation details you need to know about when using it in a real world scenario.","title":"Getting Started with OpenID Connect","tags":["security"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6260162601626016,"src":"/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/14b42/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/f836f/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/2244e/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/14b42/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/16310/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Gurjyot Singh","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Over the past two years, the retail industry has changed to such an extent that it is no longer recognizable. This is primarily because a…","fields":{"slug":"/growth/how-ciam-can-resolve-retail-industry-challenges/"},"html":"

Over the past two years, the retail industry has changed to such an extent that it is no longer recognizable. This is primarily because a major portion of the revenue that retail businesses are bringing in happens through online sales. This dependency on online platforms can be a problem for retailers, especially when it comes to access management. Fortunately, there’s a solution—Consumer Identity and Access Management (CIAM).

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What is CIAM for the Retail Industry

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CIAM is generally deployed on a platform in two ways, either as a service or embedded into applications or websites through APIs, so it carries out identity and access management for users. Typically, CIAM authentication involves identity management tools like logins, authentication, and compliance.

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5 Challenges that Consumer-Facing Enterprises Face Today

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The modern retail industry has several challenges that can be solved by deploying a CIAM solution. These problems include a need for:

\n\n

Customers always expect a seamless experience on an e-commerce platform. This experience is facilitated by the fact that the online store should have more or less the same products as that of the offline store. The other aspect involves the wish to have an easily accessible customer profile by integrating the customer data collected from all integration points, both online as well as offline.

\n\n

One of the more challenging aspects that enterprises face when extending their business online is visiting both online and offline stores. This means that both stores have to deliver the customer’s needs and engage them irrespective of which channel they plan on making the purchase.

\n\n

Marketing in the modern retail industry occurs on various platforms. It can take place through SMS, email, social media, and more. Therefore, there is a chance that data silos will appear because the marketing efforts are spread out across so many channels.

\n\n

It has been established that an effective marketing strategy involves the use of technology for data collection and analysis. However, the challenge that enterprises face is finding a solution that can manage such vast volumes of customer information and create a cohesive picture.

\n\n

Another challenging aspect that online platforms face is the problem of personalization. Personalization, if executed properly, can urge the customer to make several purchases at a time and keep them coming back for more. In other words, it can improve the loyalty of the customer. However, this requires the platform to get to know the customer and their wants and needs, which is difficult.

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1. Enhanced Personalization

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CIAM solutions will delve deeper into customer data, allowing retailers to create highly personalized shopping experiences. By understanding customer preferences and behavior across various touchpoints, retailers can tailor promotions and product recommendations, fostering greater customer loyalty.

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2. Advanced Security Measures

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With cyber threats on the rise, CIAM solutions will continue to prioritize robust security features. Multi-factor authentication, biometric verification, and adaptive access controls will become standard, ensuring customer data remains secure and protected from breaches.

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3. Integration with Emerging Technologies

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The retail landscape is embracing innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). CIAM solutions will integrate seamlessly with these technologies, enabling retailers to gather real-time insights and deliver more context-aware customer experiences.

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4. Omni-Channel Optimization

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As customers expect a unified experience across online and offline channels, CIAM will facilitate seamless omni-channel journeys. Customers will enjoy consistent interactions, whether browsing a website, visiting a physical store, or engaging through social media platforms.

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5. Scalability and Flexibility

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CIAM solutions will be designed to scale effortlessly, accommodating the ever-growing user base of retail platforms. Whether a retailer serves hundreds or millions of customers, CIAM will ensure smooth operations without compromising performance.

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Conclusion

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In conclusion, the retail industry faces a multitude of challenges in the digital age, from data silos to the need for enhanced customer loyalty. However, CIAM solutions offer a promising way forward, providing various benefits that can transform how retailers engage with their customers.

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By leveraging CIAM, retailers can streamline access management, secure customer data, and deliver personalized experiences that drive sales and loyalty. As the CIAM market continues to expand and innovate, retail businesses have an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

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Incorporating CIAM solutions into e-commerce platforms is not just a trend; it's becoming a necessity for success. As the retail industry evolves, CIAM will remain a critical tool for enhancing the overall customer experience, boosting marketing efforts, and navigating the challenges of the modern retail landscape.

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FAQs

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1. What problem does CIAM solve?

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CIAM solves challenges in access management, unifying customer data, and enhancing customer loyalty through personalized experiences.

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2. What are the best practices of CIAM?

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Best practices include multi-factor authentication, centralized data management, seamless omni-channel integration, and scalability for growing user bases.

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3. What are the 3 most critical issues in retailing and why?

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The critical issues in retailing are fluid platform experience for seamless customer journeys, integration of online and offline channels for omni-channel purchasing, and the challenge of data silos hindering marketing efforts.

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4. What are the challenges of retail marketing?

\n

Retail marketing faces challenges such as reaching customers across multiple platforms, managing data silos, and the need for personalized strategies to enhance customer loyalty.

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\n \n \n

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 17, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"The modern retail industry has several challenges that can be solved by deploying a CIAM solution. Read this blog to learn how CIAM goes beyond just streamlining a platform to make it more intuitive, and how it boosts the marketing and sales efforts of a business in the retail industry.","title":"5 Key CIAM Benefits and Challenges in the Retail Industry","tags":["mfa","ciam provider","user experience","cx"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.492537313432836,"src":"/static/3cf02a44bdfccb1d1f7f38c05f888dd6/eec3f/retail-industry.jpg","srcSet":"/static/3cf02a44bdfccb1d1f7f38c05f888dd6/f836f/retail-industry.jpg 200w,\n/static/3cf02a44bdfccb1d1f7f38c05f888dd6/2244e/retail-industry.jpg 400w,\n/static/3cf02a44bdfccb1d1f7f38c05f888dd6/eec3f/retail-industry.jpg 612w","sizes":"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px"}}},"author":{"id":"Navanita Devi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}}]},"markdownRemark":{"excerpt":"Identity is evolving, and developers are at the forefront of this transformation. Every day brings a new learning—adapting to new standards…","fields":{"slug":"/identity/developer-first-identity-provider-loginradius/"},"html":"

Identity is evolving, and developers are at the forefront of this transformation. Every day brings a new learning—adapting to new standards and refining approaches to building secure, seamless experiences.

\n

We’re here to support developers on that journey. We know how important simplicity, efficiency, and well-structured documentation are when working with identity and access management solutions. That’s why we’ve redesigned the LoginRadius website—to be faster, more intuitive, and developer-first in every way.

\n

The goal? Having them spend less time searching and more time building.

\n

What’s New and Improved on the LoginRadius Website?

\n

LoginRadius’ vision is to give developers a product that simplifies identity management so they can focus on building, deploying, and scaling their applications. To enhance this experience, we’ve spent the last few months redesigning our interface— making navigation more intuitive and reassuring that essential resources are easily accessible.

\n

Here’s a closer look at what’s new and why it’s important:

\n

A Developer-Friendly Dark Theme

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\"This

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Developers spend long hours working in dark-themed IDEs and terminals, so we’ve designed the LoginRadius experience to be developer-friendly and align with that preference.

\n

The new dark mode reduces eye strain, enhances readability, and provides a seamless transition between a coding environment and our platform. Our new design features a clean, modern aesthetic with a consistent color scheme and Barlow typography, ensuring better readability. High-quality graphics and icons are thoughtfully placed to enhance the content without adding visual clutter.

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So, whether you’re navigating our API docs or configuring authentication into your system, our improved interface will make those extended development hours more comfortable and efficient.

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Clear Categorization for LoginRadius Capabilities

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\"This

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We’ve restructured our website to provide a straightforward breakdown of our customer identity and access management platform capabilities, helping you quickly find what you need:

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This structured layout ensures you can quickly understand each capability and how it integrates into your identity ecosystem.

\n

Developer-First Navigation

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\"This

\n

We’ve been analyzing developer workflows to identify how you access key resources. That’s why we redesigned our navigation with one goal in mind: to reduce clicks and make essential resources readily available.

\n

The new LoginRadius structure puts APIs, SDKs, and integration guides right at the menu bar under the Developers dropdown so you can get started faster. Our Products, Solutions, and Customer Services are also clearly categorized, helping development teams quickly find the right tools and make informed decisions.

\n

Quick Understanding of Integration Benefits

\n

\"This

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Developers now have a clear view of the tech stack available with LoginRadius, designed to support diverse business needs.

\n

Our platform offers pre-built SDKs for Node.js, Python, Java, and more, making CIAM integration seamless across popular programming languages and frameworks.

\n

Over to You Now!

\n

Check out our revamped LoginRadius website and see how the improved experience makes it easier to build, scale, and secure your applications.

\n

Do not forget to explore the improved navigation and API documentation, and get started with our free trial today. We’re excited to see what you’ll build with LoginRadius!

\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 21, 2025","updated_date":null,"description":"LoginRadius’ vision is to give developers a product that simplifies identity management so they can focus on building, deploying, and scaling their applications. To enhance this experience, we’ve redesigned our website interface, making navigation more intuitive and reassuring that essential resources are easily accessible.","title":"Revamped & Ready: Introducing the New Developer-First LoginRadius Website","tags":["Developer tools","API","Identity Management","User Authentication"],"pinned":true,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7857142857142858,"src":"/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/58556/hero-section.webp","srcSet":"/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/61e93/hero-section.webp 200w,\n/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/1f5c5/hero-section.webp 400w,\n/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/58556/hero-section.webp 800w,\n/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/99238/hero-section.webp 1200w,\n/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/7c22d/hero-section.webp 1600w,\n/static/80b4e4fbe176a10a327d273504607f32/1258b/hero-section.webp 2732w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},"pageContext":{"limit":6,"skip":384,"currentPage":65,"type":"///","numPages":161,"pinned":"ee8a4479-3471-53b1-bf62-d0d8dc3faaeb"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1171199041","1384082988","2100481360","23180105","528864852"]}