Kerberos is a trusted authentication protocol developed at MIT, widely used in enterprise environments for secure identity verification. It relies on a ticketing system to authenticate users and services without transmitting passwords.
🔐 How Kerberos Works:
1. A user logs in and requests a Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT) from the Key Distribution Center (KDC).
2. The KDC verifies the user and issues a TGT.
3. The user presents the TGT to request service tickets for specific resources.
4. The service ticket is used to access the resource without re-authentication.
🏢 Key Components:
- **Client**: The user or system requesting access.
- **KDC**: Key Distribution Center, which includes the Authentication Server and Ticket Granting Server.
- **TGT**: Ticket Granting Ticket, used to request service tickets.
- **Service Ticket**: Grants access to specific services.
⚙️ Kerberos in IAM Platforms:
- **Active Directory**: Uses Kerberos as its default authentication protocol.
- **Linux**: Integrates Kerberos via PAM and GSSAPI for secure SSH and service access.
- **Hadoop**: Secures HDFS and YARN with Kerberos-based authentication.
🛡️ Benefits of Kerberos:
- Eliminates password transmission over the network.
- Supports mutual authentication.
- Scales well in large enterprise environments.
- Integrates with LDAP and SSO systems.
💡 Real-World Example:
An enterprise uses Active Directory with Kerberos to authenticate users across Windows desktops, file shares, and internal web apps. When a user logs in, Kerberos handles all subsequent authentication requests using encrypted tickets, ensuring seamless and secure access.
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