Identity

Factory+ utilises Kerberos as its identity provider to enhance the security and authentication processes within the architecture. By utilising Kerberos, Factory+ ensures that users and services can authenticate themselves in a secure and reliable manner, while also allowing for seamless integration with external systems that rely on the same authentication mechanism and/or other Factory+ deployments.

Open Source Example

ACS Identity Component

See how the AMRC have implemented this component in the AMRC Connectivity Stack

View on Github

Overview

Identity

Authorisation

Identity

Authorisation

Directory

Configuration Store

Manager

Commands

Data Warehouse

MQTT

Edge Agents

Kerberos is a network authentication protocol designed to provide strong, secure authentication for client-server applications. It was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the 1980s and has become a widely adopted standard for secure authentication in various systems, including Windows domains and Unix environments.

The key features of Kerberos include:

• Mutual Authentication: Kerberos ensures that both the client and server can verify each other's identity, preventing potential attacks like eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle, and impersonation.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Once a user has authenticated with Kerberos, they can access multiple services and applications within the network without having to re-authenticate, simplifying the user experience and reducing the need for multiple sets of credentials.
• Symmetric Key Cryptography: Kerberos uses symmetric key cryptography for encrypting and decrypting messages between clients and servers, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of data.
• Ticket-Based Authentication: The core concept of Kerberos is the use of "tickets" to grant access to services. When a user authenticates with the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC), they receive a Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT), which can then be used to request service-specific tickets without requiring further authentication.
• Scalability: Kerberos is designed to support large-scale networks with numerous clients and services, making it suitable for various organisational sizes and structures.

For more information on Kerberos, view the documentation on the MIT website.