Abstract

The increasing complexity of digital platforms, driven by cloud-native architectures, distributed applications, and user-centric services, necessitates robust, scalable, and secure identity management frameworks. This paper explores recent advances in federated authentication and identity management, emphasizing their role in enabling seamless and secure access across interconnected digital ecosystems. Beginning with a foundational overview of identity management’s evolution—from traditional siloed systems to federated and decentralized models—the study outlines key technologies such as SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, and emerging paradigms like decentralized identity and blockchain-based verification. It further investigates the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning for adaptive authentication, anomaly detection, and risk-based decision-making, alongside privacy-enhancing technologies ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. Through the examination of scalability, interoperability, and security challenges, the paper identifies best practices and architectural strategies critical for real-world implementations. The discussion culminates in practical implications for industry adoption across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and e-commerce, and highlights future research directions including the development of standardized identity frameworks, AI integration, and decentralized identity systems in multi-cloud and edge computing environments. This study offers a comprehensive synthesis of current trends and technologies that are shaping the next generation of identity management in scalable digital platforms.