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Internet Security Corporation
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| Authentication Servers |
| What is an Authentication Server? |
The server part of a VPN, basically:
A program that runs on a secure machine on your network to conduct the
authentication interview by issuing a challenge and evaluating the
response to it. It generally operates in close cooperation with your
firewall to grant access by authenticated parties.
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| What does one do? |
It begins by making sure that all of the components required to perform
the authentication are intact. It challenges the unauthenticated party
for some form of identifcation, usually a UserID. Then it determines
the authentication method or methods to employ, usually a password, plus
other factors such as a cryptographic token, or some kind of one time
password, and/or biometric data: it issues the authentication challenge
and collects the response. If the response is what was expected, the
server grants access, sometimes additionally informing the firewall that
the remote user may pass through the screening filter(s).
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| Do I need one? |
If you have remote personnel, affiliates, partners, vendors, or customers
who need to access your network you need to be absolutely certain that they
are who they claim to be when they request access. The only way you can be
sure is if they are processed successfully by an authentication server of
some kind.
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| What is a cryptographic token? |
It is a hand held device that processes a challenge and encrypts it for
presentation to the authentication server as a response, either using
a preloaded private key or algorithm, or user data. Look at some
examples.
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| What is biometric data? |
Biometric data can consist of plain, compressed, and/or encrypted information
about you the user, taken from some physical part of your body by a device
attached either to a token (above) or to the machine to be accessed. It is
fingerprint (AFIS compliant data compatible with FBI fingerprint databases)
data, retinal data, or facial wireframe shape information. As of 2001, these
are the only forms of biometric identification available and on the market.
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