802.1x Authentication is a network security standard that grants access to wired and wireless networks by validating authorized users and devices. The 802.1X protocol is the IEEE Standard for Port-Based Network Access Control (PNAC). Network administrators widely use 802.1x for port-level authentication, such as authenticating devices at the point where they connect to a network, like Wi-Fi access points. It uses Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) for standard communication between the devices and the network. Learn more about 802.1x authentication and how it works.
Strengthening Network Security
The main use of 802.1x authentication is to strengthen network security by protecting the network from unauthorized access. It controls who has access to the network by verifying the identities via an Identity Lookup with a RADIUS server using protocols like LDAP, SAML, or OAuth before allowing access. This helps protect wired and wireless networks from various vulnerabilities, including Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, ARP poisoning, MAC spoofing, and similar threats.
Policy Enforcement
802.1x plays an important role in an organization’s security policies because it allows for strict access control measures. It usually follows RBAC (Role Based Access Control) or ABAC (Attribute Based Access Control) to segment users and devices based on their “roles” or any other attributes within the organization. After this, the network assigns authenticated users or devices to predefined VLANs based on network policies. This helps manage the network resources assigned to different VLANs.
802.1x allows organizations to customize and segment their resources effectively without compromising network security.
Dynamic Authorization
802.1x allows RADIUS servers to make authorization changes dynamically whenever there is a change with any users or devices that have already been authenticated if the RADIUS server in question supports this feature. Dynamic authorization allows networks to automatically block non-compliant devices from the network and update access and authorization levels wherever required. This feature is especially useful in environments where users and devices cannot easily reauthenticate.
Role of 802.1x in Certificate-Based Authentication (CBA)
802.1x with digital certificates plays a fundamental security role by serving as the framework for authenticating devices with digital certificates. 802.1x typically uses EAP-TLS authentication protocol for CBA, where both client and server authenticate each other using mutual server certificate validation. This eliminates the need to use passwords and helps prevent credential-based attacks.
802.1x with CBA requires a managed Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to manage the entire lifecycle of digital certificates from issuance to revocation. A trusted managed PKI can often work with almost all Identity Providers (IDPs), such as Entra ID, Okta, Google, etc., and ensures seamless integration with both managed and unmanaged devices.
