What is a disadvantage of the Kerberos system?

The Kerberos system, widely used for secure authentication in distributed networks, indeed has a notable downside in that it can become a bottleneck or a single point of failure. This stems from its architecture, which relies heavily on a central authentication server known as the Key Distribution Center (KDC).

When a user attempts to authenticate, they must go through the KDC to obtain a ticket, which is then used to access various services. If the KDC experiences downtime or becomes unavailable for any reason, it disrupts the authentication process for all users relying on it. This centralized authorization can lead to issues where the entire system's functionality hinges on the availability of a single point, which can compromise the overall resilience and reliability of the network.

While cost factors, hardware requirements, and mobile device support are important considerations in deploying any authentication service, they do not capture the critical risk associated with the Kerberos architecture's centralized approach. This bottleneck issue necessitates careful planning and additional redundancy, which may not be as apparent in other systems that are more decentralized or distributed in nature.