Several SaaS providers support identity federation for authentication. Which of the following would BEST assist in enabling federation?

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an XML-based open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider and a service provider, making it ideal for identity federation in SaaS environments.

NTLM (NT LAN Manager) is an older Windows authentication protocol primarily used for single sign-on within a Windows domain, not for cross-domain or internet-based identity federation with SaaS providers.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is a security measure that requires users to provide two or more verification factors, which enhances authentication but does not enable federation itself.

PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) is a system for creating, managing, distributing, and revoking digital certificates, which is fundamental for secure communication but not a protocol specifically for identity federation.