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Authentication Protocols Demystified: SAML, OAuth2, Active Directory & Kerberos for Interview Readiness

Authentication protocols are the invisible backbone of every modern application — they decide who gets in, what they can access, and how systems trust one another. This course cuts through the jargon to give you a clear, confident grasp of the four protocols that come up most frequently in technical interviews and workplace conversations: Kerberos, Active Directory, SAML, and OAuth2. You'll learn not just what each protocol does, but why it was built, where it's used in the real world, and how it compares to the others.

beginner4 modules~4 hours

What you'll learn

  1. 01Module 1: The Identity Problem — Why Authentication Protocols Exist
  2. 02Module 2: Kerberos and Active Directory — The Enterprise Foundation
  3. 03Module 3: SAML and OAuth2 — Modern Identity on the Web
  4. 04Module 4: Comparing All Four — Interview Preparation and Real-World Context

Listen to a sample episode

Module 1: Module 1: The Identity Problem — Why Authentication Protocols Exist

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What is authentication (AuthN), and what question does it answer?

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