Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Security Handbook

Kerberos Components in Windows 2000

You now have a very high-level overview of Kerberos. Now, I1'll get deep into Kerberos and what it means to Windows 2000. However, before I start, I don't believe I have read anything about Kerberos without discussing the origin of the name. Therefore, not to break protocol, I, too, will explain where the name comes from. The name Kerberos comes from a mythological Greek (the Latin spelling is Cerberus) creature with three heads. This creature guarded the entrance to Hades. The three heads could represent the client/application, the network resource, and the KDC. Kerberos is a three-pronged method to ensure security on a network and to gain access to the network resources.

Before I go any further, look at some ...