Authentication & Login Methods

Authentication Overview

Authentication is how users prove their identity to access the Kinetic Platform. This guide explains the supported authentication strategies, when to use them, and how they fit into the broader security model.

Understanding Authentication vs. Authorization

Authentication: Confirms the identity of the user — “Who are you?”
Authorization: Determines what that user can do — “What are you allowed to do?”

This page focuses on authentication. For details on permissions and access control, see the Security Policies section.

Supported Authentication Methods

1. Internal Authentication

Users authenticate using credentials (username + password) stored directly in the platform.

Simple setup
Best for small teams or non-production use
Can be used for admin accounts or integrations

2. Single Sign-On (SSO)

Authenticate users with credentials managed outside of the Kinetic Platform, such as an enterprise identity provider (IdP).

Supported SSO Methods:

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)
CAC (Common Access Card via X.509 or Reverse Proxy)
Recommended for enterprise or government deployments
Syncs with your existing identity management
Enables centralized control and compliance

See SSO Configuration Guides for setup instructions.

3. OAuth

OAuth enables secure, token-based login flows for custom applications or frontend projects.

Ideal for React apps and embedded portals
Requires creating an OAuth Client and Trusted Domains
Supports user login via redirect-based flow

See Configuring OAuth Clients & Trusted Domains to get started.

🔍 Which Should I Use?

Use Case	Recommended Method
Small internal team	Internal Authentication
Enterprise or government org	SSO (LDAP or SAML)
Custom web apps or portals	OAuth
Local development or API testing	OAuth (Public Client) or Internal User