The feature of an identity management system that reduces costs and administration overhead while improving audit and accountability is user self-service. Identity management system is a system that manages the identity and the access of the users or the devices within an organization or a network, by performing the functions or the processes related to the identity and the access lifecycle, such as identification, authentication, authorization, and accountability. User self-service is a feature of an identity management system that allows the users or the devices to perform some of the tasks or the functions related to their identity and access management, such as creating, updating, or deleting their accounts, passwords, or profiles, or requesting, approving, or revoking their access rights or privileges, without requiring the intervention or the assistance of the administrators or the operators. User self-service can reduce the costs and the administration overhead for the organization, as it can decrease the workload and the dependency of the administrators or the operators, and it can increase the efficiency and the productivity of the users or the devices. User self-service can also improve the audit and the accountability for the organization, as it can provide more transparency and traceability of the identity and the access management activities, and it can enhance the compliance and the security of the identity and the access management policies and standards.
* A. Two-factor authentication is not a feature of an identity management system that reduces costs and administration overhead while improving audit and accountability, but rather a feature of an identity management system that enhances the security and the reliability of the identity and the access management. Two-factor authentication is a feature of an identity management system that verifies the identity and the legitimacy of the users or the devices by requiring two or more factors or methods of authentication, such as something the user knows (e.g., password, PIN, or security question), something the user has (e.g., token, card, or smartphone), or something the user is (e.g., fingerprint, face, or voice).
Two-factor authentication can enhance the security and the reliability of the identity and the access management, as it can prevent or reduce the risk of unauthorized or inappropriate access or login, by adding an extra layer of protection and verification for the users or the devices.
* B. Single sign-on (SSO) is not a feature of an identity management system that reduces costs and administration overhead while improving audit and accountability, but rather a feature of an identity management system that improves the usability and the convenience of the identity and the access management. SSO is a feature of an identity management system that allows the users or the devices to access multiple or different applications, systems, or networks, by using a single or a common set of credentials, such as a username and a password, or a token and a PIN, without requiring to authenticate or to login separately or repeatedly for each application, system, or network. SSO can improve the usability and the convenience of the identity and the access management, as it can simplify and streamline the access and the login process for the users or the devices, and it can reduce the complexity and the redundancy of the credentials.
* D. A metadirectory is not a feature of an identity management system that reduces costs and administration overhead while improving audit and accountability, but rather a feature of an identity management system that enables the integration and the synchronization of the identity and the access management. A metadirectory is a feature of an identity management system that stores and manages the identity and the access information of the users or the devices from multiple or different sources, such as directories, databases, or applications, and provides a unified and consistent view and access of the identity and the access information for the users or the devices. A metadirectory can enable the integration and the synchronization of the identity and the access management, as it can support the interoperability and the compatibility of the identity and the access information across different platforms, systems, or networks, and it can ensure the accuracy and the currency of the identity and the access information.