Network security is one of those behind-the-scenes protections that most employees don\u2019t think about but reap the benefits of every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only does network security protect company data, it safeguards employee data and customer data \u4e00 information that could have devastating consequences if leaked during a breach. By authenticating the right users, network security ensures that employees and contractors get access to the resources they need and only those resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But many companies aren\u2019t sure how to achieve network security, especially without causing massive network congestion. So what\u2019s the silver bullet? EAP-TLS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we\u2019ll define EAP-TLS, describe how it works, and outline the benefits you can expect from implementing it in your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EAP-TLS stands for Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security. While the term is certainly a mouthful, the end goal of EAP-TLS is simply to provide enhanced network security through digital authentication. EAP-TLS locks down your network, only allowing authenticated users to access company data, resources, and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically, EAP-TLS enables the use of X.509 digital authentication certificates, which are fairly flexible yet still optimally secure. Companies can use these digital authentication certificates to facilitate single sign-on<\/a> (SSO) through a VPN or various network devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As discussed above, EAP-TLS is a certificate-based mutual authentication method, meaning both the client and the server need certificates for successful authentication. Once those certificates are identified, the EAP-TLS will create session-based keys that each party can use to complete the login.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process goes something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EAP-TLS is widely accepted as the most secure authentication technique and has been for over 15 years. EAP-TLS is a particularly sound way to protect 802.1X networks because of the mutual authentication requirement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, EAP-TLS significantly reduces the possibility of cybercriminal activity, especially man-in-the-middle types of attacks. In those attacks, cybercriminals would spoof and authenticate into fake access points, which would immediately allow them to harvest users\u2019 credentials. But because mutual authentication requires users to validate their identity, over-the-air attacks are virtually impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EAP-TLS has several distinct advantages, particularly when it comes to security. As we\u2019ve mentioned, EAP-TLS is the most robust network authentication security on the market. And today, more modern EAP-TLS systems have incorporated sophisticated features like elliptic curve cryptography (ECC)<\/a> to strengthen the protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are hardware and software requirements for realizing all the benefits of EAP-TLS. At a minimum, you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All four of these components interact to provide a seamless and secure authentication experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RADIUS, or Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service<\/a>, is a network protocol used to authorize users attempting to connect to embedded routers, modem servers, software, and wireless apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While EAP-TLS is the gold standard of network security, its implementation can be complex. Building and monitoring physical servers is both stressful and time-consuming, which is why many companies have stalled on EAP-TLS rollouts. But the good news is that it\u2019s possible to ditch the server hassle by switching to JumpCloud’s Cloud RADIUS<\/a> platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Cloud RADIUS, you get the security and strength of a traditional RADIUS protocol without worrying about maintaining physical servers. JumpCloud makes it easy to authenticate users to VPNs, switches, network devices, and Wi-Fi. Moreover, Cloud RADIUS is consistently audited by industry experts and supports network segmentation via dynamic VLAN tagging<\/a> without any on-premises architecture or network setup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"