Chapter 3. Security Models

Computer resources can be protected by a variety of security methods. Some, methods, like firewalls, are designed to keep unwanted users out, and others are designed to verify the identity of anyone attempting to access a resource. The act of identity verification is commonly called authentication. The methods used to authenticate users vary, depending on the security model that you choose to implement.

Directories play an important role in the authentication process. The information, such as user credentials, required by an authentication service is usually stored in a directory. The directory service itself provides an authentication service that identifies users who attempt to access directory data. LDAP-enabled applications can take advantage of this authentication service to verify the identity of its clients by using the client's credentials to attempt directory service access.

This chapter begins by looking at traditional Solaris authentication and security models and at the role directories play. Since there is not a one size fits all authentication scheme, we discuss alternative authentication mechanisms including the Solaris and iPlanet Directory Server infrastructure designed to cope with multiple authentication methods.