What does "Delegated Authentication" enable in Salesforce?

Delegated Authentication in Salesforce enables organizations to leverage an external authentication system. This means that rather than Salesforce managing the entire authentication process, the responsibility is delegated to an external system, which could be an organization's existing identity provider.

By using delegated authentication, users can log into Salesforce using the same credentials they use for other business applications, thereby streamlining the user experience and enhancing security since the external system can enforce its own authentication policies, such as multi-factor authentication or centralized password management.

This approach not only simplifies user management by allowing businesses to maintain a single set of credentials but also integrates Salesforce with an organization’s existing security infrastructure, making it a powerful option for businesses looking to unify their authentication processes across multiple platforms.