Keycloak: Syllabus

Mastering Keycloak: Secure User Management and Access Control

Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management (IAM) solution for securing applications and services. This book provides a hands-on approach to mastering Keycloak, focusing on authentication, authorization, role-based access control (RBAC), and integration with popular data services like Apache Airflow, Kafka, Spark, and MinIO.

Module 1: Introduction to Identity and Access Management (IAM)#

• What is IAM, and why is it important?
• Overview of authentication and authorization
• Understanding OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML
• How Keycloak fits into modern security architectures

Module 2: Setting Up Keycloak#

• Installing and configuring Keycloak
• Understanding Keycloak Realms, Clients, and Users
• Configuring Keycloak in standalone and clustered mode
• Managing Keycloak through the Admin Console

Module 3: User Authentication and Identity Federation#

• Creating and managing user accounts
• Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Federating identities with LDAP, Active Directory, and social logins
• Configuring password policies and account recovery mechanisms

Module 4: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Authorization#

• Defining roles, groups, and permissions in Keycloak
• Implementing fine-grained authorization using Keycloak policies
• Configuring attribute-based access control (ABAC)
• Managing user sessions and access tokens

Module 5: Integrating Keycloak with Web and API Security#

• Securing REST APIs with OAuth 2.0 and Keycloak
• Implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) for web applications
• Using Keycloak adapters for securing Spring Boot and Node.js apps
• Implementing API Gateway authentication with Keycloak

Module 6: Securing Data Services with Keycloak#

• Integrating Keycloak with Apache Airflow for workflow security
• Securing Apache Kafka producers and consumers
• Managing authentication for Apache Spark workloads
• Implementing role-based access control for MinIO object storage

Module 7: Deploying Keycloak in Production#

• Running Keycloak on Docker and Kubernetes
• Configuring Keycloak for high availability and load balancing
• Implementing backup and disaster recovery strategies
• Monitoring and logging Keycloak events

Module 8: Auditing, Compliance, and Security Best Practices#

• Implementing logging and auditing for security events
• Ensuring compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2
• Hardening Keycloak security configurations
• Best practices for managing Keycloak users and permissions

Hands-On Projects

Project 1: Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)#

• Set up roles, groups, and permissions in Keycloak
• Secure a web application with Keycloak authentication
• Implement fine-grained authorization using policies

Project 2: Single Sign-On (SSO) for Microservices#

• Configure Keycloak as an identity provider for multiple applications
• Implement SSO across multiple microservices
• Manage user sessions and access tokens effectively

Project 3: Securing a Data Pipeline with Keycloak#

• Integrate Keycloak authentication with Apache Airflow
• Secure Kafka producers and consumers using Keycloak tokens
• Restrict access to MinIO storage using Keycloak policies

Project 4: Deploying Keycloak on Kubernetes for Scalable Authentication#

• Deploy Keycloak in a Kubernetes cluster
• Configure Keycloak for high availability and scaling
• Implement backup and failover strategies

Project 5: Monitoring and Auditing Keycloak in a Production Environment#

• Set up logging and monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana
• Implement security auditing for user activity tracking
• Automate user provisioning and access control policies

References#

• Keycloak Official Documentation
• OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect Standards
• Spring Boot Keycloak Integration
• Securing APIs with Keycloak