Which EAP Method Fits? — TechKnowSurge

About this interactive

EAP is not really a protocol, despite the name. It is a framework: like the blueprints for a house, it says how authentication should be built, and EAP methods are the houses built from it. That is why EAP keeps up with new technology: a new method can be added, and an old one, such as EAP-MD5, retired. There are many EAP methods because there are many ways to prove who you are. Choose the one that matches the credential. EAP-TLS uses certificates. The certificate can be installed on the computer, or held on a smart card that the user taps, and EAP-TLS checks certificates on both the client and the server. EAP-POTP uses one-time passwords: a code from a token or app that works for a single login. EAP-PSK uses a pre-shared key: a secret set on the device and the server in advance. Read each situation for what the device or user actually proves itself with.

What you'll learn

Explain that EAP is a framework, the blueprint, and that each EAP method is a protocol built on it for a particular use case
Choose an EAP method for a situation by the credential it uses: certificates (EAP-TLS), one-time passwords (EAP-POTP) or a pre-shared key (EAP-PSK)

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

3.2 Given a scenario, apply security principles to secure enterprise infrastructure.

4.1 Given a scenario, apply common security techniques to computing resources.

Key terms

Extensible Authentication Protocol: Extensible Authentication Protocol is a flexible authentication framework used in wireless networks and PPP connections that supports multiple authentication methods including certificates, tokens, and passwords.
EAP Method: A specific authentication protocol built upon the EAP framework, each designed to support a particular use case such as certificates, passwords, or pre-shared keys.
EAP Transport Layer Security: An EAP authentication method that uses TLS with mutual digital certificate authentication for both the client and the authentication server. EAP-TLS is considered one of the most secure 802.1X authentication methods and is widely used in enterprise wireless and wired networks.
Digital Certificate: An electronic document that uses a digital signature to bind a public key with an identity.
Pre-Shared Key: A shared secret passphrase used for authentication in wireless networks and VPNs without requiring a dedicated authentication server. In WPA-Personal mode, the PSK is used to derive the Pairwise Master Key (PMK) for encrypting the wireless session.

Topics

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