Authentication Services

Authentication is a mechanism that identifies a user or service based on predefined criteria. Authentication services range from simple name-password pairs to more elaborate challenge-response systems, such as token cards and biometrics. Strong authentication mechanisms rely on a user supplying information that only that person knows, and a personal item that can be verified. A user name is an example of information that the person knows. A smart card or a fingerprint, for example, can be verified. The Oracle Solaris features for authentication include the following:

• Secure RPC – An authentication mechanism that uses the Diffie-Hellman protocol to protect NFS mounts and a naming service, such as NIS. See Overview of Secure RPC.

• Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) – A framework that enables various authentication technologies to be plugged into a system entry service without recompiling the service. Some of the system entry services include login and ftp. See Chapter 14, Using Pluggable Authentication Modules.

• Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) – A framework that provides authentication and security services to network protocols. See Chapter 17, Using Simple Authentication and Security Layer.

• Secure Shell – A secure remote login and transfer protocol that encrypts communications over an insecure network. See Chapter 15, Using Secure Shell.

• Kerberos service – A client-server architecture that provides encryption with authentication over a secured network. See Part VI, Kerberos Service.