Final answer:
Kerberos is the authentication protocol linked to Microsoft operating systems, named after a mythical three-headed dog, and uses long-term shared secrets and tickets for authentication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The authentication protocol that is widely used with Microsoft operating systems, originated from MIT, and named after the mythical three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hades is Kerberos. In the Kerberos authentication process, the client authenticates to an authentication server once using a long-term shared secret, such as a password. After a successful authentication, the client receives a ticket-granting ticket (TGT) from the authentication server, which can be used to obtain service tickets for various services within the network without needing to re-authenticate with the long-term shared secret.