Split-tiered point-to-point inline authentication architecture

A digital authentication architecture, said architecture comprising:

• one or more client nodes;
• one or more applications, each of the applications supporting an authentication protocol;
• and
• an authentication adapter bridge (“AAB”), wherein said AAB is configured to:
• receive an access request from a first client node, said access request requesting access to a target application from the one or more applications;
• provide an authentication pipeline between the first client node and the target application, said authentication pipeline that facilitates an authentication stream that satisfies the authentication protocol that is supported by the target application, said authentication stream satisfying the authentication protocol even when the first client node is associated with a default authentication protocol that provides less information than is required to satisfy the authentication protocol, said authentication stream obtaining a set of missing information that is needed to satisfy the authentication protocol;
• and
• authenticate the first client node to the target application.

A method for providing authentication between presumptively incompatible elements in a digital network, said method comprising:

• receiving an access request from a client node in the network, said access request requesting access to a target application;
• identifying an authentication protocol that is supported by the client node;
• identifying an authentication protocol that is supported by the target application;
• determining that the authentication protocol requires more information than is provided by a default authentication protocol of the client node;
• determining a set of missing information that is needed to satisfy the authentication protocol;
• providing an authentication pipeline between the client node and the target application;
• facilitating, via the authentication pipeline, an authentication stream that satisfies the authentication protocol that is supported by the target application, said authentication stream obtaining the set of missing information;
• and
• authenticating the client node to the target application via the authentication pipeline.