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nikomakela merged 1 commit into from
Jan 23, 2026
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docs(kesaseteli): document authentication methods by UI #3850

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54 changes: 54 additions & 0 deletions backend/kesaseteli/README.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -98,6 +98,60 @@ env variables / settings are provided by Azure blob storage:
- `AZURE_ACCOUNT_NAME`
- `AZURE_ACCOUNT_KEY`

## Authentication Methods Overview

This section outlines the authentication mechanisms used across the three user interfaces and five environment types (Review, Dev, Test, Stage, and Production).

### Authentication by User Interface

| UI Name | Target Audience | Auth Method | Notes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Youth** | Individual Applicants | **None** | Relies on backend SSN/VTJ validation. |
| **Employer** | Business Users | **Suomi.fi / OIDC** | SAML, except in review env, where it's OpenID Connect. |
| **Handler** | Internal Staff | **ADFS** | Authenticates via ADFS through the API. |

### Detailed Environment Logic

#### Youth UI
The Youth UI does not implement a login flow. To ensure data integrity:
* Applications are sent to the API.
* The API validates the Social Security Number (SSN).
* Personal data is fetched from **VTJ** (Population Information System).

#### Employer UI
Authentication for employers depends on the environment configuration, primarily managed by the `NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_SUOMIFI` variable.

* **Standard Environments (Dev, Test, Stage, Production):**
* `NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_SUOMIFI=true`
* Authenticates via **Suomi.fi** through the API's **SAML** endpoint.
* **Certificate Requirements:** `SUOMIFI_CERT` and `SUOMIFI_KEY` environment variables are required.
* **Review Environments (Pull Requests):**
* `NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_SUOMIFI=false`
* Uses `HelsinkiOIDCAuthenticationBackend`.
* **OIDC Provider:** `https://tunnistus.test.hel.ninja/auth/realms/helsinki-tunnistus`
* **Note:** This configuration is used because Review environments require dynamic URLs, which are difficult to manage with Suomi.fi's static SAML requirements. It also facilitates easier automated browser testing.

#### Handler UI
The Handler UI uses **ADFS** (Active Directory Federation Services) for all environments. The authentication is brokered through the API.
See [Staff Admin Permissions](staff_admin_permissions/README.md) for details on how ADFS groups map to Django admin permissions.

#### Mock Mode
When `NEXT_PUBLIC_MOCK_FLAG=true` (typically in local development):
* **Employer UI**: Bypasses Suomi.fi/OIDC and uses a simulated login.
* **Handler UI**: Bypasses ADFS and uses a simulated login.
* **Youth UI**: Skips VTJ queries and uses mock data.

### Authentication Matrix

| Environment | Youth | Employer Auth Method | Handler Auth |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Review (PR)** | Open | **Helsinki OIDC** | ADFS |
| **Dev** | Open | **Suomi.fi (SAML)** | ADFS |
| **Test** | Open | **Suomi.fi (SAML)** | ADFS |
| **Stage** | Open | **Suomi.fi (SAML)** | ADFS |
| **Production** | Open | **Suomi.fi (SAML)** | ADFS |


## Environment Variables

| Variable | Description |
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