CompTIA Security+ Exam SY0-601: Authentication Server Hardening

Recommended Technology for Mutual Authentication and Delegation

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Question

A security analyst is hardening an authentication server.

One of the primary requirements is to ensure there is mutual authentication and delegation.

Given these requirements, which of the following technologies should the analyst recommend and configure?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

B.

Only Kerberos that can do Mutual Auth and Delegation.

The technology that the security analyst should recommend and configure to ensure mutual authentication and delegation is Kerberos services.

Kerberos is a network authentication protocol that uses mutual authentication to verify the identities of both the user and the server. This is achieved through the use of tickets, which are issued by the Kerberos authentication server and used by both the client and the server to authenticate each other.

In a Kerberos authentication scenario, the user sends a request to the authentication server (AS) for a ticket-granting ticket (TGT) using their username and password. The AS verifies the user's identity and issues a TGT, which is encrypted with a shared secret key. The user then sends the TGT to the ticket-granting server (TGS) to request a service ticket for a specific service, such as an authentication server. The TGS verifies the TGT and issues a service ticket, which is also encrypted with a shared secret key. The user then sends the service ticket to the authentication server to authenticate to the service.

With mutual authentication, both the client and the server are required to authenticate each other before any communication can occur. In Kerberos, mutual authentication is achieved through the use of the TGT and service ticket, which both the client and the server use to authenticate each other.

Delegation refers to the ability for a user to delegate their authentication credentials to a service so that the service can act on their behalf. Kerberos supports delegation through the use of a service's keytab file, which contains the service's encryption keys. When a user requests a service ticket for a specific service, the TGS includes a copy of the user's TGT in the ticket. This allows the service to authenticate the user and act on their behalf.

In summary, the technology that the security analyst should recommend and configure to ensure mutual authentication and delegation is Kerberos services. Kerberos provides mutual authentication and supports delegation through the use of TGTs, service tickets, and keytab files.