Cisco CCNP Security Core (SCOR) 350-701Cloud SecurityMedium

A security architect is integrating an on-premises Active Directory with a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) application to provide single sign-on (SSO) capabilities. The goal is to allow users to authenticate once using their existing corporate credentials and access the SaaS application without re-entering them. Which protocol is commonly used to facilitate this federated identity management in cloud environments?

  1. ASMTP
  2. BSSH
  3. CSNMP
  4. DSAML
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. SAML

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an XML-based open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider (like Active Directory) and a service provider (like a SaaS application). It is widely used for federated single sign-on.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used for sending email, not for identity federation.
  • B. SSH (Secure Shell) is used for secure remote access to systems, not for single sign-on.
  • C. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used for network device management, not identity federation.

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)

An XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between security domains.

  • Enables Single Sign-On (SSO) for web applications.
  • Used for federated identity management.
  • Involves an Identity Provider (IdP) and a Service Provider (SP).

Memory trick: SAML: Seamless Access for Many Logins.

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