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ISA 3200 Network Security

ISA 3200 Network Security . Chapter 10: Authenticating Users. Learning Objectives. Explain why authentication is a critical aspect of network security Explain why firewalls authenticate and how they identify users Describe user, client, and session authentication

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ISA 3200 Network Security

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  1. ISA 3200Network Security Chapter 10: Authenticating Users

  2. Learning Objectives • Explain why authentication is a critical aspect of network security • Explain why firewalls authenticate and how they identify users • Describe user, client, and session authentication • List the advantages and disadvantages of popular centralized authentication systems • Discuss the potential weaknesses of password security systems • Discuss the use of password security tools • Describe common authentication protocols used by firewalls IS 3200, Summer 2010

  3. The Authentication Process in General • The act of identifying users and providing network services to them based on their identity • Two forms • Local authentication • Centralized authentication service (often uses two-factor authentication) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  4. How Firewalls Implement the Authentication Process • Client makes request to access a resource • Firewall intercepts the request and prompts the user for name and password • User submits information to firewall • User is authenticated • Request is checked against firewall’s rule base • If request matches existing allow rule, user is granted access • User accesses desired resources IS 3200, Summer 2010

  5. How Firewalls Implement the Authentication Process (continued) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  6. Firewall Authentication Methods • User authentication • Client authentication • Session authentication IS 3200, Summer 2010

  7. User Authentication • Basic authentication; user supplies username and password to access networked resources • Users who need to legitimately access your internal servers must be added to your access control lists (ACLs) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  8. User Authentication (continued) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  9. Client Authentication • Same as user authentication but with additional time limit or usage limit restrictions • When configuring, set up one of two types of authentication systems • Standard sign-on system • Specific sign-on system IS 3200, Summer 2010

  10. Client Authentication (continued) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  11. Session Authentication • Required any time the client establishes a session with a server of other networked resource IS 3200, Summer 2010

  12. Comparison of Authentication Methods IS 3200, Summer 2010

  13. Centralized Authentication • Centralized server maintains all authorizations for users regardless of where user is located and how user connects to network • Most common methods • Kerberos • TACACS+ (Terminal Access Controller Access Control System) • RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  14. Process of Centralized Authentication IS 3200, Summer 2010

  15. Kerberos • Provides authentication and encryption through standard clients and servers • Uses a Key Distribution Center (KDC) to issue tickets to those who want access to resources • Used internally on Windows 2000/XP • Advantages • Passwords are not stored on the system • Widely used in UNIX environment; enables authentication across operating systems IS 3200, Summer 2010

  16. Kerberos Authentication IS 3200, Summer 2010

  17. TACACS+ • Latest and strongest version of a set of authentication protocols for dial-up access (Cisco Systems) • Provides AAA services • Authentication • Authorization • Auditing • Uses MD5 algorithm to encrypt data IS 3200, Summer 2010

  18. RADIUS • Centralized dial-in authentication service that uses UDP • Transmits authentication packets unencrypted across the network • Provides lower level of security than TACACS+ but more widely supported IS 3200, Summer 2010

  19. TACACS+ and RADIUS Compared • Strength of security • Filtering characteristics • Proxy characteristics • NAT characteristics IS 3200, Summer 2010

  20. Strength of Security IS 3200, Summer 2010

  21. Filtering Characteristics IS 3200, Summer 2010

  22. RADIUS Doesn’t work with generic proxy systems, but a RADIUS server can function as a proxy server TACACS+ Works with generic proxy systems Proxy Characteristics IS 3200, Summer 2010

  23. NAT Characteristics • RADIUS • Doesn’t work with NAT • TACACS+ • Should work through NAT systems IS 3200, Summer 2010

  24. Password Security Issues • Passwords that can be cracked (accessed by an unauthorized user) • Password vulnerabilities • Lax security habits IS 3200, Summer 2010

  25. Passwords That Can Be Cracked • Ways to crack passwords • Find a way to authenticate without knowing the password • Uncover password from system that holds it • Guess the password • To avoid the issue • Protect passwords effectively • Observe security habits IS 3200, Summer 2010

  26. Password Vulnerabilities • Built-in vulnerabilities • Often easy to guess • Often stored visibly • Social engineering • To avoid the issues • Choose complicated passwords • Memorize passwords • Never give passwords out to anyone IS 3200, Summer 2010

  27. Lax Security Habits • To maintain some level of integrity, draw up a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  28. Password Security Tools • One-time password software • Shadow password system IS 3200, Summer 2010

  29. One-Time Password Software • Password is generated using a secret key • Password is used only once, when the user authenticates • Different passwords are used for each authentication session • Types • Challenge-response passwords • Password list passwords IS 3200, Summer 2010

  30. Shadow Password System • A feature of Linux that stores passwords in another file that has restricted access • Passwords are stored only after being encrypted by a randomly generated value and an encoding formula IS 3200, Summer 2010

  31. Other Authentication Systems • Single-password systems • One-time password systems • Certificate-based authentication • 802.1x Wi-Fi authentication IS 3200, Summer 2010

  32. Single-Password Systems • Operating system password • Internal firewall password IS 3200, Summer 2010

  33. One-Time Password Systems • Single Key (S/Key) • SecurID • Axent Pathways Defender IS 3200, Summer 2010

  34. Single Key (S/Key) • Uses multiple-word rather than single word passwords • User specifies single-word password and the number of times it is to be encrypted • Password is processed by a hash function n times; resulting encrypted passwords are stored on the server • Never stores original password on the server IS 3200, Summer 2010

  35. SecurID • Uses two-factor authentication • Physical object • Piece of knowledge • Most frequently used one-time password solution with FireWall-1 IS 3200, Summer 2010

  36. SecurID Tokens IS 3200, Summer 2010

  37. Axent Pathways Defender • Uses two-factor authentication and a challenge-response system IS 3200, Summer 2010

  38. Certificate-Based Authentication • FireWall-1 supports the use of digital certificates to authenticate users • Organization sets up a public key infrastructure (PKI) that generates keys to users • User receives a code (public key) that is generated using the server’s private key and uses the public key to send encrypted information to the server • Server receives the public key and can decrypt the information using its private key IS 3200, Summer 2010

  39. 802.1x Wi-Fi Authentication • Supports wireless Ethernet connections • Not supported by FireWall-1 • 802.1x protocol provides for authentication of users on wireless networks • Wi-Fi uses Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) IS 3200, Summer 2010

  40. Wireless Authentication IS 3200, Summer 2010

  41. Chapter Summary • Overview of authentication and its importance to network security • How and why firewalls perform authentication services • Types of authentication performed by firewalls • User • Client • Session IS 3200, Summer 2010

  42. Chapter Summary (continued) • Generally, users supply: • Something they have (such as a smart card) or • Something they know (such as a password) or • Both • Latest authentication systems measure or evaluate a physical attribute, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint IS 3200, Summer 2010

  43. Chapter Summary (continued) • In a centralized authentication system: • Firewall works with an authentication server • Authentication server handles • Username and password maintenance/generation • Login requests • Auditing • Examples of centralized authentication systems: • Kerberos • TACACS+ • RADIUS IS 3200, Summer 2010

  44. Chapter Summary (continued) • Passwords • Important part of virtually every authentication system • Take one of two general forms: • Single-word • User password compared against database of passwords; access granted if match is made • Vulnerable to ability of hackers to determine passwords, to user error, and to bad security habits • One-time passwords • Generated dynamically each time user attempts to log on to network • Secret key used to generate single- or multiple-word password IS 3200, Summer 2010

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