Which item is typically a username/password combination used to prove identity?

Which item is typically a username/password combination used to prove identity?

• A. Credential
• B. Identity Store
• C. Directory Service
• D. Federation

Answer: (A)

Authentication relies on presenting proof of who you are. A credential is that proof, and in most systems it’s the username and password together. The username identifies the user, and the password proves you know the secret associated with that user, allowing the system to verify your identity against the stored record. The identity store is simply where those identities and their credentials are kept, while a directory service is a system that helps you look up and access that information. Federation describes linking identities across trusted domains so you can use a single sign-on across environments, not the actual proof you present at a login. So the item used to prove identity is the credential.

Authentication relies on presenting proof of who you are. A credential is that proof, and in most systems it’s the username and password together. The username identifies the user, and the password proves you know the secret associated with that user, allowing the system to verify your identity against the stored record.

The identity store is simply where those identities and their credentials are kept, while a directory service is a system that helps you look up and access that information. Federation describes linking identities across trusted domains so you can use a single sign-on across environments, not the actual proof you present at a login. So the item used to prove identity is the credential.