CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

What does SAML primarily facilitate within a security context?

1. Encryption of data at rest

2. Compliance with regulatory requirements

3. The exchange of Authentication and Authorization data

4. Incident response planning

The correct answer is: The exchange of Authentication and Authorization data

SAML, or Security Assertion Markup Language, primarily facilitates the exchange of authentication and authorization data between identity providers and service providers. It enables users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications and services without needing to log in separately to each one. This streamlined process enhances user experience while maintaining security standards. By leveraging SAML, organizations can implement single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, allowing for secure communication of user identity and access rights across different systems and domains. This not only simplifies the user authentication process but also reduces the complexity of managing credentials and enhances the overall security posture by minimizing the attack surface related to password management. The other options do not accurately represent the central function of SAML. While encryption of data at rest is important for data security, SAML itself does not handle data encryption. Compliance with regulatory requirements may be supported by secure identity management practices, but is not the primary role of SAML. Incident response planning is a separate area focused on preparedness and actions following a security incident, which is not related to the core functionalities of SAML.