Which protocol should be configured to extend SSO to a new cloud-based accounting application?

SY0-701 By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

B SAML

Question

An organization completed a project to deploy SSO across all business applications last year. Recently, the finance department selected a new cloud-based accounting software vendor. Which of the following should most likely be configured during the new software deployment?
  1. RADIUS
  2. SAML Correct Answer
  3. EAP
  4. OpenID

Key Takeaways

The question tests the difference between enterprise SSO protocols (SAML) and network authentication protocols (RADIUS/EAP), with the trap being to select based on the 'cloud' keyword rather than the SSO requirement.

For extending an existing SSO deployment to a new cloud-based accounting application, configure SAML to federate authentication between the identity provider and the software vendor. The CompTIA Security+ community unanimously identifies SAML as the correct answer, since RADIUS and EAP are network-level protocols and OpenID is less correlated with enterprise SSO in this scenario.

Common mistake: RADIUS — because many candidates see network/device authentication in RADIUS and think it supports single sign-on, but it authenticates network access and does not provide the federation and assertion capabilities needed for cloud application SSO.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP). Since the organization already uses SSO, SAML is the natural protocol to configure for the new cloud-based accounting vendor so users can authenticate once and access the new app without separate credentials. The community consensus supports this: comment [1] explains SAML is widely used for SSO across enterprise applications and cloud services, while comment [2] notes it is an open standard for authentication and authorization.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

RADIUS is a networking protocol used for centralized authentication of users to network access (VPN, wireless, switches) — not for federated SSO into cloud applications, as comment [1] states. EAP is an authentication framework used inside network connections (e.g., 802.1X, Wi-Fi) and does not provide web-based SSO assertions. OpenID (especially OpenID Connect) can support SSO, but the question specifies "cloud-based accounting software vendor" in an enterprise SSO context, where SAML is the standard answer; OpenID is less likely to be the protocol used in that legacy/enterprise integration.

Community Comment Notes

Commenters unanimously chose SAML and provided concise justifications. Comment [1] is the most useful: it distinguishes SAML from RADIUS and EAP, noting that RADIUS is for network access authentication and is not generally used for SSO with cloud apps. Comment [3] simply voted SAML without extra detail, and comment [2] reinforces that SAML is an open standard for both authentication and authorization. No alternative answers were supported.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When you see SSO plus a cloud application, immediately think of federation protocols like SAML. Eliminate RADIUS and EAP as network-level authentication methods, and only consider OpenID/OpenID Connect if the question explicitly mentions modern web/API scenarios or an OAuth ecosystem.

Community Votes

B
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 3

  1. a4e15bd 👍 9
    B SAML is widely used protocol for enabling SSO across different applications and systems, particularly in enterprise environments. It allows users to authentication once and gain access to multiple application, including cloud based services. RADUIS is typically used for network access authentication and is not generally used for SSO with cloud based applications. EAP is used for network authentication protocols particularly in wireless networks and does not apply to SSO. OpenID is an identity layer on top of OAuth 2.0 for authentication but is less commonly used in enterprise environments compared to SAML for SSO.
  2. Robuste7 👍 1 Answered B
    SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language). SAML is an open standard used in cybersecurity for authentication and authorization
  3. jafyyy 👍 2
    B SAML

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