300-445 Question 168
Single answerAn enterprise network assurance team is testing the authentication mechanisms for a newly deployed web application. The application requires users to authenticate via an external identity provider, and once authenticated, users can access multiple enterprise applications without needing to re-enter their credentials. Which authentication method is MOST suitable for this scenario?
- A
Basic Authentication
- B
Digest Authentication
- C
OAuth
- D
SAML
- E
Bearer Tokens
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
SAML is the most suitable choice for this scenario because it enables Single Sign-On (SSO) and supports authentication via external identity providers. This allows users to authenticate once and access multiple enterprise applications without needing to re-enter credentials. Other options, like Basic or Digest Authentication, lack the required SSO functionality, and while OAuth and Bearer Tokens are commonly used for delegated authorization, they do not inherently implement SSO in the context of external identity providers.
- A. Incorrect.
Basic Authentication involves sending a username and password with each request. It does not support external identity providers or Single Sign-On (SSO), making it unsuitable for this scenario.
- B. Incorrect.
Digest Authentication is a more secure alternative to Basic Authentication but still does not support external identity providers or Single Sign-On (SSO), making it unsuitable for this scenario.
- C. Incorrect.
OAuth is a framework for authorization, not authentication. It is commonly used for granting limited access to third-party applications but does not inherently implement Single Sign-On (SSO) in the way described in the scenario.
- D. Correct.
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is specifically designed for Single Sign-On (SSO) and supports authentication via external identity providers. It is the most appropriate choice in this scenario.
- E. Incorrect.
Bearer Tokens are used in conjunction with other authentication methods, such as OAuth, to grant access to resources. However, they do not inherently provide Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality.