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Password-Based Authentication
Figure B-4 shows the basic steps involved in authenticating a client by means of a
name and password. Figure B-4 assumes the following:
•
The user has already decided to trust the server, either without authentication
or on the basis of server authentication via SSL.
•
The user has requested a resource controlled by the server.
•
The server requires client authentication before permitting access to the
requested resource.
Figure B-4
Using a Password to Authenticate a Client to a Server
These are the steps shown in Figure B-4:
In response to an authentication request from the server, the client displays a
1.
dialog box requesting the user's name and password for that server. The user
must supply a name and password separately for each new server the user
wishes to use during a work session.
The client sends the name and password across the network, either in the clear
2.
or over an encrypted SSL connection.
The server looks up the name and password in its local password database
3.
and, if they match, accepts them as evidence authenticating the user's identity.
The server determines whether the identified user is permitted to access the
4.
requested resource, and if so allows the client to access it.
With this arrangement, the user must supply a new password for each server, and
the administrator must keep track of the name and password for each user,
typically on separate servers.
Appendix B
Introduction to Public-Key Cryptography
Certificates and Authentication
243
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