Standard Component for SAML 2.0 Authentication

A.

The correct answer is A. Identity Provider.

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an XML-based protocol that allows for the exchange of authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP).

In the context of SAML 2.0, an Identity Provider (IdP) is a trusted entity that provides authentication services to service providers. It is responsible for authenticating users and generating SAML assertions that are then used by service providers to grant access to their resources.

In other words, when a user tries to access a service provided by an SP, the SP redirects the user to the IdP for authentication. Once the user is authenticated, the IdP generates a SAML assertion containing information about the user (such as their identity and attributes), signs it using its private key, and sends it back to the SP. The SP then verifies the signature and uses the information in the assertion to grant access to the requested resource.

Therefore, an Identity Provider (IdP) is a standard component used for authentication by SAML 2.0.