User login methods and identity options
Key Takeaway
Match the login method to the users: SSO fits employees who use their company network credentials, and social sign-on fits customers who use an existing social account. MFA is required for all users who log in directly to the Salesforce UI, and it still applies to SSO users.
Salesforce Identity controls who can log in to your org and which apps they can reach. Users can log in with a username and password plus multi-factor authentication (MFA), or password-free with Lightning Login. They can also log in through single sign-on (SSO) from another identity provider, or through social sign-on with an account like Google or Facebook. The right method depends on who the users are, such as employees or Experience Cloud customers.
Authentication and identity verification
User authentication and identity verification are separate steps:
| Users prove | With | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Who they are | Credentials, such as a username and password |
| Identity verification | That they own the account | Evidence called a verification method, such as a verification code |
Identity verification asks for a verification method when users log in, activate a new device or view a sensitive resource.