Inside Network Security Assessment: Guarding Your IT Infrastructure

The Role Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability Play in a Secure Organization

Authentication, authorization, and accounting are three terms sometimes referred to as “AAA.” Together, these items represent a framework for enforcing policy, controlling access, and auditing user activities. These three items are critical for security.

Authentication

At most, basic authentication is a method of identification. It grants access to physical or logical resources based on someone’s identification. Individuals typically identify and authenticate themselves in one of these methods: something you know, something you have, or something you are.

Passwords—Something You Know

The use of computer passwords goes back to the early days of computing. ...