KuppingerCole Report
Advisory Note
By Paul Fisher

Identity Authentication Standards

Authentication is a core component of Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solutions and central to the security and management of modern organizations. For many years, the industry has been developing protocols that offer secure authentication beyond basic username and passwords. Digital transformation has increased the need for robust standards that can work with remote working, multi-cloud environments, IoT, APIs and DevOps.
By Paul Fisher
pf@kuppingercole.com

Content of Figures

  1. Figure 1 The differences between Authentication and Authorization
  2. Figure 2 OAuth gives users and applications access to resources via tokens
  3. Figure 3 OpenID Connect authenticates access to web applications
  4. Figure 4 PKI uses public and private keys to authenticate users and entities
  5. Figure 5 Identity providers are key to authentication using the SAML protocol
  6. Figure 6 TLS 1.3 is based on a client-server authentication sequence
  7. Figure 7 FIDO 2 also uses public and private keys to authenticate access to web services
  8. Figure 8 Kerberos is based on the issuing and verification of authentication tickets
  9. Figure 9 LDAP is used in conjunction with Microsoft Active Directory

1 Introduction

Authentication is a core component of Identity and Access Management (IAM). It has been a leading area of research and product development for decades ...

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2 Highlights

  • The basic concepts of authentication for the enterprise
  • The differences between authentication and authorization
  • The principles behind leading a ...
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3 The basics of authentication in the enterprise

As a foundational element of Identity and Access Management (IAM), at KuppingerCole we believe that strong authentication lies at the heart of securin ...

There are stronger forms of authentication available through cryptographic hard tokens such as smart cards, and biometrics such as facial recognition ...

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4 How different types of authentication work

As with almost any aspect of computing, different standards or protocols have been established to achieve authentication through all types of transact ...

OpenID Connect

OpenID is another HTTP-based protocol that that works similar to OAuth but provides stronger authentication and is often used in conj ...

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

PKI is a technology for authenticating users and devices using cryptographic technologies. The basic idea is to have ...

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

SAML was an early identity federation protocol, allowing cross-domain authentication. In other words, a us ...

Transport Layer Security (1.3) (TLS)

TLS is an updated version of SSL used for encrypting communication between HTTPs applications and servers. TLS ...

FIDO 2.0

The FIDOTM (Fast Identity Online) Alliance is a non-profit organization, launched in February 2013, to address the lack of interoperabili ...

Kerberos

Kerberos is an authentication protocol first developed at the Massachusetts institute of technology (MIT) and extended by Microsoft. It use ...

LDAP for Active Directory

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is an open and cross platform query protocol that can be used for directory ...

The Matrix of Authentication Features

...
Protocol Keys APIs SSO Tokens Certificates HTTPS MFA Azure AD
FIDO 2.0 Yes
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5 Future trends and developments in identity and authentication

Standards are only part of the story in providing strong authentication across the infrastructure of digital enterprises and organizations. Proving id ...

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6 Summary and recommendations to business

Awareness of the importance of digital identity is increasing, from the consumer point-of-view all the way to executives and boards of directors. Auth ...

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7 Related Research

Advisory Note: Future of Identity Management – 71303
Blog: The Non-Zero Elements of Zero Trust
Blog: 10 Use Cases for Universal Privilege Management
Blog: User Experience Above All – Secure Access for Employees, Devices and Applications!
Executive View: FIDO2 – 80059
Leadership Brief: Privileged Account Management Considerations – 72016
Leadership Brief: Why Adaptive Authentication Is A Must – 72008
Leadership Brief: Mobile Connect – 71518
Leadership Compass: Cloud-based MFA Solutions – 70967
Leadership Compass: Adaptive Authentication - 79011
Leadership Compass: Consumer Authentication - 80062
Leadership Compass: Identity Governance & Administration – 71135
Podcast: KuppingerCole Analyst Chat: Innovation in CIAM
Webinar: Entering the Virtual World With Identity Verification
Webinar: There is No Successful Digital Transformation Without Strong Identity Management

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