Which of the following correctly describes a federated identity and its role within identity management processes?
A.
A nonportable identity that can be used across business boundaries
B.
A portable identity that can be used across business boundaries
C.
An identity that can be used within intranet virtual directories and identity stores
D.
An identity specified by domain names that can be used across business boundaries
Explanation:
B: A federated identity is a portable identity, and its associated entitlements, that can be used across business boundaries. It allows a user to be authenticated across multiple IT
systems and enterprises. Identity federation is based upon linking a user’s otherwise distinct identities at two or more locations without the need to synchronize or consolidate directory
information. Federated identity offers businesses and consumers a more convenient way of accessing distributed resources and is a key component of e-commerce.
A is incorrect because a federated identity is portable. It could not be used across business boundaries if it was not portableand that’s the whole point of a federated identity. The
world continually gets smaller as technology brings people and companies closer together. Many times, when we are interacting with just one Web site, we are actually interacting with
several different companieswe just don’t know it. The reason we don’t know it is because these companies are sharing our identity and authentication information behind the scenes.
This is done to improve ease of use for the user.
C is incorrect because a federated identity is meant to be used across business boundariesnot within the organization. In other words, its use extends beyond the organization
that owns the user data. Using federated identities, organizations with different technologies for directory services, security, and authentication can share applications, thereby allowing
users to sign in to multiple applications with the same user ID, password, etc.
D is incorrect because a federated identity is not specified by a domain name. A federated identity is a portable identity and its associated entitlements. It includes the username,
password and other personal identification information used to sign in to an application.