SAML is a widely used identity federation protocol that enables Single Sign-On (SSO) across different domains by allowing identity providers (IdPs) to authenticate users and pass authentication tokens to service providers (SPs).
While SAML facilitates seamless access, coupling it with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) significantly enhances security.
MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors—such as something they know (password), something they have (security token), or something they are (biometric verification)—before granting access.
This layered approach mitigates risks associated with compromised credentials, ensuring that even if a user's password is obtained maliciously, unauthorized access is prevented without the additional authentication factors.
Implementing MFA alongside SAML-based SSO addresses potential vulnerabilities inherent in single-factor authentication systems, thereby strengthening the overall security posture of federated identity management solutions.
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B) OAuth with OpenID Connect (OIDC): OAuth is primarily for authorization ("what are you allowed to do?"), while OIDC adds authentication capabilities on top of OAuth. While related and often used together, they don't represent the pairing of a federation method with a security-enhancing factor in the same way as SAML and MFA. OIDC builds on OAuth.
C) WS-Federation with Single Sign-On (SSO): WS-Federation is a protocol that enables SSO by allowing the federation of identities across different security realms. In this pairing, WS-Federation facilitates SSO, but there isn't an additional method being coupled to enhance security further.
D) SCIM with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): SCIM is a standard for automating the exchange of user identity information, while RBAC is a method for restricting system access based on roles. Although they can be used together to manage user identities and permissions efficiently, their combination is focused on streamlining identity management and access control rather than directly strengthening security.