Combined Authentication release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated August 11, 2026
  • 7 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined Authentication release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

    This document consolidates all Authentication-related release notes for ServiceNow customers upgrading from the Yokohama release family to Zurich. It provides a comprehensive view of new features, changes, deprecated functionalities, and important upgrade considerations to help you prepare and execute your upgrade efficiently.

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    New Features

    • Continuous Authentication: Requires step-up or re-authentication before granting access to sensitive or high-privilege data (introduced in Yokohama).
    • OAuth Grant Types for MID Server: Supports Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer grants for outbound integrations via MID Server.
    • Machine Identity Console (Zurich): Simplifies inbound integration configuration, streamlining setup and management.
    • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) Dashboard (Zurich): Provides insights on MFA user enrollment, privileged admin compliance, and overall MFA status.
    • MFA Guided Setup (Zurich): Helps administrators configure MFA for users logging in with only username/password, enhancing security through step-by-step guidance.
    • OIDC Attribute Filtering (Zurich): Uses Identity Provider attributes from OIDC responses as filter criteria for authentication policies.

    Key Changes

    • MFA Enforcement: MFA is mandated for all non-SSO login users to improve security (Yokohama).
    • Enhanced SSO Login and Logout (Zurich): Improvements include displaying active SAML and OIDC IdPs on login pages, user group assignment during auto-provisioning, shared well-known URLs for OIDC configurations, detailed login failure messages, and better logout handling.
    • FIDO2 as MFA Factor (Zurich): Enables enforcement of hardware key or biometric second-factor authentication.
    • OAuth Integration Enhancements (Zurich): Support for client secrets up to 4096 characters, JWKS URL for automatic JWT public key updates, expanded JWT signing algorithms, and customizable JWT ID claims for inbound OIDC and JWT Bearer flows.

    Deprecations

    • Zurich deprecates legacy inbound integration configurations in Application Registry, including OAuth API endpoints, OAuth JWT API endpoints, and OIDC provider verification, in favor of the new Machine Identity Console inbound integration setup.

    Activation and Requirements

    • Authentication remains an active default ServiceNow AI Platform product in both Yokohama and Zurich releases.
    • No additional browser or localization requirements were introduced between Yokohama and Zurich.

    Additional Highlights

    • Authentication Factors for AI Voice Service: Available in both Yokohama Patch 11 and Zurich Patch 4, enabling caller access to AI voice agents via configured authentication factors.
    • Provider Name Field for Inbound Integrations: Introduced to enhance monitoring by distinguishing inbound integrations via provider names (Zurich Patch 3).
    • OAuth Token Options: Opaque or JWT token options are supported for inbound integration endpoints, improving flexibility and security (Yokohama Patch 7 and Zurich Patch 1).

    Practical Guidance for ServiceNow Customers

    When upgrading from Yokohama to Zurich, review and complete pre- and post-upgrade tasks to ensure smooth transition. Leverage the new MFA dashboard and guided setup to enforce multi-factor authentication effectively. Use the Machine Identity Console to simplify inbound integration configuration and replace deprecated legacy setups. Take advantage of enhanced OAuth and SSO capabilities to strengthen your organization's authentication security posture.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for Authentication from Yokohama to Zurich.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Authentication release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Yokohama to Zurich.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading Authentication to Zurich

    Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Continuous Authentication
    Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    OAuth Grant Types for MID Server
    Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server. Personal Auth is also supported through the MID server. MID Servers facilitate communication and data movement between a single ServiceNow® instance and external applications, data sources, and services.

    Zurich
    Machine Identity Console
    Manage your inbound integration with ServiceNow's Machine Identity Console. Inbound integration in Machine Identity Console provides a simplified configuration experience for your inbound integrations.
    Multi-factor Authentication dashboard
    Use the new MFA Dashboard to understand insights such as MFA user enrollment, privileged admins who haven't opted in to MFA, and compliance. You can verify that all users have MFA enabled for enhanced security with the help of the MFA Dashboard.
    Multi-factor Authentication Guided Setup
    Use the new MFA Guided setup to configure multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for users who currently log in to ServiceNow with only a user name and password. This update enhances security by guiding administrators through the MFA setup process and verifying that all users are protected with an additional layer of authentication.
    Attributes for OIDC
    Use the Identity Provider (IDP) Attributes received from the OIDC response from the Identity Provider as a filter criteria for authentication.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing Authentication features.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement
    MFA is mandated and is enforced to all the non-SSO login users accessing ServiceNow®.

    Zurich
    Enhanced SSO login and logout experience
    Use the enhanced SSO login and logout experience. Enhancement includes:
    • Display of active SAML and OIDC Identity Providers (IdPs) on the ServiceNow platform and portal login pages.
    • Assign users to specific groups during SAML and OIDC auto-provisioning.
    • Set up OIDC with the same well-known URL. The OIDC configurations can use the same well-known URL of the IdPs for multiple SSO records.
    • Display login failure reasons to the users who logged out of ServiceNow due to session expiry or other reasons. Use the login link on the external logout page to again log in to ServiceNow in case of successful logout.
    • Display of a generic error message for unsuccessful single log out.
    • Enhanced email notifications for SAML certificate and Encryption Key store update.
    FIDO2 as an MFA factor
    Use the FIDO factor policy to enforce FIDO (Hardware key or Biometric as second factor for authentication) as second factor authentication to users who attempt to log in to the instance.
    OAuth integrations
    Configure OAuth integration that includes the following enhancements:
    • You can provide a maximum client secret length up to 4096 characters to meet security requirements of the third-party systems.
    • You can provide a JSON Web Key Set (JWKS) URL to automatically manage and update the public key for JSON Web Tokens (JWT) signature validation.
    • You can request OAuth tokens using the JWT grant type signed with Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ES) signing algorithms, including ES256, ES384, and ES512, for inbound JSON Web Tokens (JWT). It also supports RS256, RS384, RS512, HS256, HS384, and HS512.
    • You can customize the JWT ID (JTI) claim name in both inbound OpenID Connect (OIDC) and JWT Bearer flows.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Authentication features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Authentication features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich
    Due to the launch of new simplified inbound integration configuration in Machine Identity Console, the following inbound integrations configurations in the Application registry page are deprecated:
    • OAuth API endpoint for external clients
    • OAuth JWT API endpoint for external clients
    • OIDC provider to verify ID tokens

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Zurich

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for Authentication, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Yokohama Patch 11
    Authentication factors for AI voice service
    Enable caller access to AI voice agents by configuring the required identification and authentication factors.
    OAuth enhancements
    Following are the OAuth enhancements:
    • Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    • Use the Allow access only to APIs in selected scope option to enable access to the APIs that are explicitly listed in the selected scopes for your inbound integrations.
    • Use the OAuth Entity Resource tab for outbound integrations to configure resource parameters so they flow into the OAuth token request and are reflected in the token from your OAuth provider.
    Provider name for Inbound integrations
    Use the Provider name field to enter the details of your inbound integrations to distinguish between different inbound integrations on your ServiceNow AI Platform®. Update the Provider name in your API integrations to improve monitoring capabilities:
    • For OAuth integrations, update the provider name using the Provider name field. To know more, see OAuth Inbound.
    • For Basic authentication integrations, update the Provider name in the integration registration form.
    Yokohama Patch 7
    OAuth token enhancement
    Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    Yokohama
    • Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is enforced by default for all non-SSO login to ServiceNow®.
    • Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server.

    See Authentication for more information.

    Zurich
    Zurich Patch 4
    Authentication factors for AI voice service
    Enable caller access to AI voice agents by configuring the required identification and authentication factors.
    OAuth enhancements
    Following are the OAuth enhancements:
    • Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    • Use the Allow access only to APIs in selected scope option to enable access to the APIs that are explicitly listed in the selected scopes for your inbound integrations.
    • Use the OAuth Entity Resource tab for outbound integrations to configure resource parameters so they flow into the OAuth token request and are reflected in the token from your OAuth provider.
    Zurich Patch 3
    Provider name for Inbound integrations
    Use the Provider name field to enter the details of your inbound integrations to distinguish between different inbound integrations on your ServiceNow AI Platform®. Update the Provider name in your API integrations to improve monitoring capabilities:
    • For OAuth integrations, update the provider name using the Provider name field. To know more, see OAuth inbound.
    • For Basic authentication integrations, update the Provider name in the integration registration form. To know more about the integration registration form, see View dashboard.
    Zurich Patch 1
    OAuth token enhancement
    Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    Zurich
    • Experience the new Inbound integration configuration in the Machine Identity Console.
    • Use the new MFA Dashboard to understand insights such as MFA user enrollment, privileged admins who haven't opted in to MFA, and compliance.
    • Use the FIDO factor policy to enforce FIDO-based authentication.
    • Use the enhanced SSO login and logout experience.
    • Configure the authentication policies to restrict access, reduce roles, or enforce MFA based on Identity Provider (IdP) attributes that are received from the OIDC response.

    See Authentication for more information.