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3.13.3 Encrypted Assertion

NIST PIV and digital identity SP 800-63C-4 against SP 800-63C
All changes in this version
added 3 Common Federation Requirements part of 3.13

Title changed

Before · SP 800-63C

After · SP 800-63C-4

Encrypted Assertion

Control changed

Before · SP 800-63C

After · SP 800-63C-4

The contents of the assertion can be encrypted to protect against exposing sensitive information to untrusted third parties, such as a user agent. This protection is especially relevant when the assertion contains personal information about the subscriber.

A trust agreement MAY require the encryption of assertion contents in other situations.

While most assertion formats support encryption of the entire assertion, some assertion formats allow for only the personal information portions of the assertion to be encrypted, providing the selective disclosure of sensitive information to the RP without encrypting the entire assertion. When portions of the assertion are encrypted, only an RP that holds the necessary decryption key will be able to access the encrypted information in the assertion.

When encrypting assertions, the IdP SHALL encrypt the contents of the assertion using the RP’s encryption key with approved cryptography. For example, a SAML assertion can be encrypted using XML-Encryption, while an OpenID Connect ID Token can be encrypted using JSON Web Encryption (JWE).

When used with back-channel presentation, an assertion can also be encrypted in transit with a mutually authenticated TLS connection if there are no intermediaries between the IdP and RP that interrupt the TLS channel.

The meaning of subject identifiers is contextual to their target systems, unlike other possible identifiers, such as SSNs, email addresses, or driver’s license numbers. Therefore, subject identifiers alone do not trigger encryption requirements based on protecting personal information.