Central Authentication Service, or CAS, is a single sign-on (SSO) protocol that allows users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials. Developed at Yale University, CAS is an open, well-documented protocol that’s widely used in enterprise systems.
Because CAS is open-source and protocol-driven, it’s flexible. It supports several backend identity stores (like LDAP, databases, or Active Directory) and integrates easily into systems with different security and infrastructure layouts.
CAS handles authentication by redirecting users to a central login server. Here are some benefits of this approach:
OneLogin is a popular identity and access management platform that supports centralized authentication through a cloud-based approach. Here are some of its key features:
Learn more about OneLogin’s offerings here.
Any organization that manages a large or growing application suite, to which its users require secure and seamless access, should implement a Central Authentication Service. That said, here are some scenarios where it's especially important:
The CAS architecture has two main components:
CAS supports the following authentication protocols:
This wide protocol support allows CAS to work across different app stacks and identity systems.
Next, let’s explore how you’d set up a typical Central Authentication Service architecture:
Here’s how a standard CAS login process works:
Finally, here are some best practices that will help you get the best out of your CAS setup:
CAS is a stable and well-documented SSO protocol that makes it easier to manage authentication across multiple applications. Whether you’re running a campus-wide system or a growing set of internal tools, CAS provides the flexibility and reliability needed for scalable and strong authentication.