Passwords Are Out: Logging Into DigitalOcean with Key9
How to use Key9 to login and manage your DigitalOcean users.
We have long been fans of DigitalOcean, utilizing its services for many years as developers. It offers a clean and simple platform that developers and hackers appreciate. Whether you need a Linux development box or a quick MariaDB database, DigitalOcean allows you to deploy resources in minutes without dealing with overly complicated interfaces. It’s a straightforward point-click experience.
DigitalOcean resources are remarkably stable. Throughout our many years of using their platform, we have never encountered stability issues regarding connectivity, uptime, or bandwidth. Beyond technical stability, their pricing is also stable, transparent, and easy to understand, which is a significant benefit for both developers and users.
My main gripe with DigitalOcean had been the absence of Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. Because DigitalOcean lacked support for SAML2 or OpenID Connect (OIDC), every one of our developers was forced to maintain their own separate account.
The lack of SSO leads to user “sprawl,” which significantly complicates the platform’s adoption for enterprise customers. In previous roles, I’ve encountered environments where applications absolutely had to support SSO; if they didn’t, they were not permitted within the system.
On September 2nd, 2025, DigitalOcean announced SSO functionality!
This update allows teams to integrate with OIDC-compatible identity providers (IdPs), such as Key9, to manage user authentication for the DigitalOcean control panel. This integration is a significant step for organizations, as it enhances security protocols and streamlines user access by centralizing credential management through a trusted, single service.
Key9 enhances DigitalOcean’s appeal by offering a completely passwordless platform. Since all authentication is managed through Passkeys, developers can focus on writing code instead of struggling with usernames, passwords, and MFA.
It’s easy to get started using DigitalOcean with Key9. You can find DigitalOcean support directly in the Key9 “Market Place.” For detailed information, please refer to the documentation at:
https://docs.k9.io/key9-identity/web/marketplace/digitalocean
https://docs.digitalocean.com/platform/teams/how-to/configure-sso/