Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)Cloud SecurityMedium
A company is adopting a multi-cloud strategy, utilizing services from different cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP). They need a unified way for their employees to authenticate and access resources across all these disparate cloud environments without managing separate credentials for each. Which identity management solution best addresses this requirement?
- AMulti-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- BFederated Identity Management (FIM)
- CLocal User Accounts
- DRole-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Federated Identity Management (FIM)
Federated Identity Management (FIM) allows users to authenticate once with a single identity provider and gain access to multiple cloud services across different providers, eliminating the need for separate credentials and simplifying access management in multi-cloud environments.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. MFA enhances security but doesn't unify identity across disparate cloud providers; it's an authentication method.
- C. Local user accounts would require creating and managing separate credentials for each cloud provider, which is what the company wants to avoid.
- D. RBAC defines permissions based on roles within a single system or cloud, not federating identity across multiple providers.
Federated Identity Management (FIM)
An identity management system that allows a user to log in once to a 'home' identity provider and then access multiple cloud services and applications without re-authenticating.
- Enables Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Simplifies user management in multi-cloud/hybrid environments
- Relies on trust relationships between identity providers and service providers
Memory trick: Federated Identity: One Key, Many Doors.