The security space can be a strange and confusing place for newcomers. In this series of posts, we aim to shed light on the security lingo you may encounter when reading the latest security specifications and scanning your favorite Duende documentation. By the end of this post, you’ll have added one more security phrase to your growing lexicon of security jargon with which to impress your fellow security professionals.

Today’s security lingo is OP, so let’s discuss what the acronym stands for and where you can see and hear it used.

What is OP?

If you’re a gaming, anime, or sports fan, you may confuse the acronym OP as shorthand for an overpowered character. While being overpowered is what we do here at Duende, the term OP stands for something different in security circles. So, let’s level up and learn what “OP“ really means.

In the field of OpenID Connect, the term “OP” stands for OpenID Connect Provider and is typically used by security professionals as shorthand when describing the authorization server at the center of a current or future security solution.

The OP, an OpenID Connect provider, provides security solution architects with an authorization server that can issue and manage access and identity tokens within the current security context. Duende IdentityServer is an OP and is a spec-compliant implementation of OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect protocols. In practice, you may hear developers say, “What signing algorithms does the OP support?”, “Is this client registered with the OP?”, and “What is the URI to the OP?”.

That’s it, and now you know. You've successfully added OP to your lexical skill tree and understand what others mean when they cast OP out into conversation. By using the term OP, you’ll reduce the length of conversations and increase your security meter.

We hope you found this post enlightening. If there’s other security lingo you’re unsure about, please let us know in the comments, and we’ll be happy to explain. And while you’re here, please take a moment to explore our range of security products and join our community in our public discussions.