Introduction

Almost all organizations today rely on networks to access information. These networks can range from internal networks to the Internet. Access to information is needed, and this access must be configured to provide information to entities that request it. For example, when you need to make a purchase, you can quickly check out vendors' prices through their Web pages. Likewise, in order to deter the competition from gaining an advantage over your organization, you must establish your own Web pages for advertising and ordering purposes. Furthermore, within an organizational structure, many sites might exist across the country or around the globe. If corporate data is available immediately to employees, much time can be saved. In the corporate world, time savings equates to money savings.

But how can you exchange information efficiently and effectively while maintaining the security essential in today's world? A major problem for any network administrator is how to ensure that those who need access can get it readily and conveniently, while those who should not view specific information are denied access. One of the most important elements of security is to determine "who's who" that is, once you've taken steps to grant or deny access to specific entities, you need to ensure that those seeking access are who they claim to be. By impersonating an authorized user, an unauthorized user can access information to which he or she has no right.

Let's take a look at how identity verification is handled in the world outside computers. If...