Security Solutions

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Access Control Concepts
Network Access Control Technologies
Authentication Requirements
Access control methods may impose some requirements on the endpoints:
■ MAC-Auth—None
■ Web-Auth—Web browser interface and user interaction
■ 802.1X—802.1X supplicant
The following Windows OS versions include a native 802.1X supplicant:
•Windows Vista
•Windows XP
• Windows 2000 SP4
Mac OS 10.3 also provides native support for 802.1X. The OpenX project
has developed the Xsupplicant for Linux systems.
An 802.1X supplicant can also be installed on an endpoint as software
from a third-party vendor. In addition, many vendors of wireless NICs
include a wireless client with an 802.1X supplicant as part of the product.
You must also consider which EAP methods the endpoint’s 802.1X suppli-
cant supports.
Typically, 802.1X requires some form of user interaction; however, some
smartphones and printers are 802.1X capable. These devices include
supplicants that automatically submit credentials such as a SIM or digital
certificate.
Authentication Protocols
Users and authentication servers communicate through authentication proto-
cols, which dictate the process of submitting credentials. You’ve already
learned a little about authentication protocols as they play a role in the three
access control authentication methods.
You should understand these protocols in more detail:
■ Password Authentication Protocol (PAP)
■ Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP)
■ Microsoft CHAP (MS-CHAP) version 2
■ EAP
■ RADIUS