Secure SSO Token Encryption for Payment System Integration
What Is the Challenge?
A leading insurance company partnered with Realized Solutions to launch a new payment system. From the start, the system required API calls that requested an SSO token. This token verified user identity before allowing the entry of personally identifiable information through a payment iframe.
In general, Single Sign-On allows users to log in once and access multiple connected systems. As a result, users avoid repeated credential entry and experience a smoother journey. However, this convenience introduces added security risk. Specifically, the team needed to protect the SSO token during transmission and storage. If the token became exposed, unauthorized users could gain access to sensitive data. Therefore, balancing usability with strong security became the core challenge.
What Is the Solution?
To address this challenge, Realized Solutions focused first on secure key management. Most importantly, encryption and decryption rely on a trusted key. That key must remain confidential while staying available to authorized systems. If attackers gained access to it, they could decrypt tokens and bypass authentication. For this reason, proper storage and access control proved critical. The team stored encryption keys in protected, encrypted locations accessible only through verifiable credentials.
After securing the key, attention shifted to encryption standards. Next, the team evaluated which algorithm would provide the best protection without adding complexity. Realized Solutions selected the Rijndael cipher with carefully configured padding, buffers, and modes. This approach ensured that each token remained fully obfuscated. In addition, Rijndael resists known attack methods and delivers the cryptographic strength required to protect authentication data.
Once encryption completed, the system securely transmitted the token and request to the integration site. At this point, the platform verified the user’s information before displaying content inside the payment iframe. Finally, a post back URL returned users to their account page after completion. This step confirmed that the tokenized payment information transferred successfully and stored correctly within the payment system.
What Is the Result?
Overall, the SSO token encryption implementation delivered both security and simplicity. All token handling, encryption, and verification occurred behind the scenes. As a result, users completed payments without interruption or repeated logins. At the same time, the insurance company strengthened protection around sensitive data. Realized Solutions provided a scalable and reliable solution that improved security while preserving a seamless user experience.