Session Token
What is Session Token?
The credential your identity provider issues after you sign in successfully, so you are not asked for your password on every click. It is stored as a browser cookie and represents an already-authenticated session. If an attacker steals it — through adversary-in-the-middle phishing or infostealer malware — they can replay it from their own browser and be logged in as you, with no password and no MFA prompt, until the token expires. Shortening token lifetimes limits the damage.
Why token theft bypasses MFA entirely →
Why this matters for Canadian businesses
Understanding Session Token is part of building a security programme that meets the 13 Baseline Cyber Security Controls published by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (ITSM.10.089) — the Government of Canada's recommended minimum standard for small and medium organizations. You can measure your organization against all 13 controls with our free cybersecurity assessment.
For the wider picture on how Canadian small and medium businesses are performing, see The Cybersecurity Canada Report 2026, our annual benchmark of incident rates, breach costs, and regulation affecting Canadian organizations.
Cite This Page
Suggested citation:
Cybersecurity Canada (2026). Session Token. Retrieved from https://cybersecuritycanada.ca/glossary/session-token/
Permanent URL: https://cybersecuritycanada.ca/glossary/session-token/
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