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    802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?

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    802.1x switch authentication
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    • 1
      1337
      last edited by

      802.1X port-based authentication - when is it used and why?

      Is it to protect the network from unauthorized physical access to ports that you have no physical control over?

      JaredBuschJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • JaredBuschJ
        JaredBusch @1337
        last edited by

        @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

        802.1X port-based authentication - when is it used and why?

        Is it to protect the network from unauthorized physical access to ports that you have no physical control over?

        Basically, yes.

        In @scottalanmiller’s lan-less design it doesn’t matter. But for the rest of us....

        Well really it comes down to risk assessment, like all things. How much will it cost you to set up and manage day to day versus doing nothing. Then how much of a cost would be associated with some type of malicious actor accessing an open port.

        1 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
        • 1
          1337 @JaredBusch
          last edited by

          @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

          @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

          802.1X port-based authentication - when is it used and why?

          Is it to protect the network from unauthorized physical access to ports that you have no physical control over?

          Basically, yes.

          In @scottalanmiller’s lan-less design it doesn’t matter. But for the rest of us....

          Well really it comes down to risk assessment, like all things. How much will it cost you to set up and manage day to day versus doing nothing. Then how much of a cost would be associated with some type of malicious actor accessing an open port.

          How about just using MAC address to lock down ports in use and turn off ports not in use? Would that not be as effective?

          JaredBuschJ scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • DashrenderD
            Dashrender
            last edited by

            MAC filtering in general is not considered real security. The MAC has to be in the unencrypted part of a transmission, so if a hacker can get a shim to monitor, they can get MACs they can use to spoof a network.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • ObsolesceO
              Obsolesce
              last edited by Obsolesce

              It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

              JaredBuschJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • JaredBuschJ
                JaredBusch @Obsolesce
                last edited by

                @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                That is a malicious actor.

                ObsolesceO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • JaredBuschJ
                  JaredBusch @1337
                  last edited by

                  @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                  turn off ports not in use

                  This is always helpful, and easy.

                  ObsolesceO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ObsolesceO
                    Obsolesce @JaredBusch
                    last edited by

                    @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                    @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                    It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                    That is a malicious actor.

                    Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                    DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • ObsolesceO
                      Obsolesce @JaredBusch
                      last edited by

                      @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                      @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                      turn off ports not in use

                      This is always helpful, and easy.

                      Very true.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • scottalanmillerS
                        scottalanmiller @1337
                        last edited by

                        @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                        @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                        @pete-s said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                        802.1X port-based authentication - when is it used and why?

                        Is it to protect the network from unauthorized physical access to ports that you have no physical control over?

                        Basically, yes.

                        In @scottalanmiller’s lan-less design it doesn’t matter. But for the rest of us....

                        Well really it comes down to risk assessment, like all things. How much will it cost you to set up and manage day to day versus doing nothing. Then how much of a cost would be associated with some type of malicious actor accessing an open port.

                        How about just using MAC address to lock down ports in use and turn off ports not in use? Would that not be as effective?

                        It's casually effective, but any focused attack can generally get around that pretty easily.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • DonahueD
                          Donahue
                          last edited by

                          I dont know about you guys, but I worry a lot more about accident stupidity than targeted attacks.

                          dafyreD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • dafyreD
                            dafyre @Donahue
                            last edited by

                            @donahue said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                            I dont know about you guys, but I worry a lot more about accident stupidity than targeted attacks.

                            Often both result in the same ending, lol.

                            Rather than overcomplicating my network, I'd rather just keep unused ports disabled. Ideally, there would at least a couple of folks on my team who know how to enable and disable ports as needed.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • DashrenderD
                              Dashrender @Obsolesce
                              last edited by

                              @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                              @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                              @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                              It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                              That is a malicious actor.

                              Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                              I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                              ObsolesceO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • DashrenderD
                                Dashrender
                                last edited by

                                The whole disabling ports seems like a waste of time. If someone wants on the network, they'll simply unplug a printer and plug in. They know that line is live. Or they will unplug their own computer, again, they know it's live.

                                crustachioC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • ObsolesceO
                                  Obsolesce @Dashrender
                                  last edited by

                                  @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                  @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                  @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                  @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                  It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                                  That is a malicious actor.

                                  Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                                  I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                                  Malicious is defined as intent to do harm, which is why I disagree. If the intent is not there, it's not malicious.

                                  DashrenderD JaredBuschJ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • DashrenderD
                                    Dashrender @Obsolesce
                                    last edited by

                                    @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                    @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                    @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                    @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                    @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                    It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                                    That is a malicious actor.

                                    Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                                    I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                                    Malicious is defined as intent to do harm, which is why I disagree. If the intent is not there, it's not malicious.

                                    LOL - now that's a Scott answer if there ever was one. 😛

                                    ObsolesceO scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • JaredBuschJ
                                      JaredBusch @Obsolesce
                                      last edited by

                                      @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                      @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                      @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                      @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                      @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                      It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                                      That is a malicious actor.

                                      Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                                      I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                                      Malicious is defined as intent to do harm, which is why I disagree. If the intent is not there, it's not malicious.

                                      If you are plugging something in to a company asset that you wer enot told to do, you are intentionally doing something. Shit doens't plug itself it. Shit does not bring itself into the office.

                                      1 ObsolesceO 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • 1
                                        1337 @JaredBusch
                                        last edited by

                                        @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                        If you are plugging something in to a company asset that you were not told to do, you are intentionally doing something. Shit doesn't plug itself it. Shit does not bring itself into the office.

                                        That reminds me of something. When you set up 802.1x on a windows computer, is it the user account that is logged in that you are authenticating or is it the computer itself or both?

                                        coliverC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • ObsolesceO
                                          Obsolesce @JaredBusch
                                          last edited by

                                          @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                          It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                                          That is a malicious actor.

                                          Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                                          I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                                          Malicious is defined as intent to do harm, which is why I disagree. If the intent is not there, it's not malicious.

                                          If you are plugging something in to a company asset that you wer enot told to do, you are intentionally doing something. Shit doens't plug itself it. Shit does not bring itself into the office.

                                          If company policy says to not plug that stuff into the network, and you do so anyways, then yes, I'll agree that is malicious.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • ObsolesceO
                                            Obsolesce @Dashrender
                                            last edited by Obsolesce

                                            @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            @dashrender said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            @jaredbusch said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            @obsolesce said in 802.1x port-based authentication - when and why?:

                                            It's not just protecting against malicious actors. It could be to make sure employees aren't bringing in their own devices and putting them onto the LAN, bypassing external protections.

                                            That is a malicious actor.

                                            Stupidity or ignorance doesn't mean malicious.

                                            I'm going to have to go with JB on this one.

                                            Malicious is defined as intent to do harm, which is why I disagree. If the intent is not there, it's not malicious.

                                            LOL - now that's a Scott answer if there ever was one. 😛

                                            What is this:
                                            0_1539725734201_2debdb78-e681-4bd4-b844-9802e3b8db4a-image.png

                                            JaredBuschJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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