301d8 read08 - carlosjorr/reading-notes GitHub Wiki

RADIUS Authentication.

  1. Explain each of the three A’s as you would to a non-technical family member. Use an analogy or a story.

Imagine you're going to a party at a friend's house. When you arrive at the party, you first need to prove your identity to the person at the door (Authentication). This can be done by showing your driver's license, which confirms who you are. Once the person at the door confirms your identity, they give you a stamp on your hand, indicating that you're allowed to enter the party (Authorization). This stamp acts as a pass that grants you access to the party and its various areas.

Inside the party, there's someone keeping track of what everyone is doing (Accounting). They observe your activities and note down things like how many drinks you had, what games you played, and how long you stayed at the party. This helps in keeping a record of who did what during the event.

  1. What should the administrator do if the ACS server fails to authenticate a user during AAA implementation?

If the ACS server fails to authenticate a user, it means that the person at the door couldn't confirm the identity of the partygoer. In this case, the administrator should troubleshoot the ACS server to find out what's causing the authentication failure. It could be a technical issue or a problem with the user's credentials. The administrator might need to check the server logs, investigate any error messages, or verify the user's account details to resolve the problem.

  1. What is the role of the NAS in the AAA implementation using an ACS server? Use a diagram. Next, let's understand the role of the NAS (Network Access Server) in the AAA implementation using an ACS server. In the context of our party analogy, the NAS is like a bouncer who stands between the partygoers and the rest of the party. The NAS acts as a gatekeeper for the network, controlling who can access it.

When a partygoer wants to join the network, they first need to go through the NAS. The NAS receives the partygoer's request and passes it to the ACS server (the person at the door) for authentication. The ACS server then verifies the partygoer's identity by checking their credentials. If the authentication is successful, the ACS server sends a message back to the NAS, indicating that the partygoer is authorized to access the network.

Once the NAS receives the authorization message, it opens the gate and allows the partygoer to enter the network. From that point on, the NAS also keeps track of the partygoer's activities on the network (like the person inside the party who's observing and noting down activities). This helps in accounting for the resources used by the partygoer, such as data transfer or the duration of their network connection.

  1. What are the benefits of using RADIUS for authentication and authorization?

Centralized Authentication: RADIUS allows for centralized authentication, meaning that user credentials (such as usernames and passwords) are stored and managed in a single location, typically on a RADIUS server. This provides a convenient and efficient way to manage user access across multiple devices and systems.

Scalability: RADIUS is designed to handle a large number of authentication requests, making it suitable for environments with a high volume of users. It can efficiently authenticate and authorize users accessing various network resources, including wired and wireless networks.

Security: RADIUS supports various security mechanisms to protect sensitive user information during the authentication process. It can use encryption protocols to ensure that usernames, passwords, and other authentication data are securely transmitted over the network.

  1. What is RADIUS and what does it stand for?

RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. The name reflects its original purpose, which was to provide a remote authentication service for dial-up users connecting to a network.

  1. Research: What encryption algorithms does RADIUS use?

For the encryption algorithms used by RADIUS, the protocol itself does not specify a particular encryption algorithm. Instead, it supports various authentication and encryption methods that can be used in combination with RADIUS. Commonly used encryption algorithms in conjunction with RADIUS include:

Password-based encryption: RADIUS can encrypt user passwords using methods like MD5 (Message Digest 5) or HMAC-MD5 (Hash-based Message Authentication Code with MD5).

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS): RADIUS can leverage SSL/TLS protocols to establish secure encrypted communication channels between the RADIUS client (such as a network access server) and the RADIUS server.