Secure Authentication Features in Windows XP

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Connecting users to your network requires more than plugging in a network cable. In this book chapter, you'll learn the specifics of authentication under Windows XP: the process of verifying the identity of the user attempting to access a computer or other network resource. Find out the inner workings of Windows XP Professional, whether you need total authentication services or interoperability with Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows 2003.

Sometimes it is a good idea to be absolutely certain you know who you are dealing with. Authentication is the process by which the identity of a specific entity—a person, a user, or a computer—is verified. Authentication transactions happen in many places, many times a day. Using an ATM card and PIN to withdraw cash from an ATM, providing a driver's license when making a purchase at a home improvement store with a credit card, and presenting a passport when going through customs are common types of authentication. In each of these examples some sort of authority requests proof of identification. This ID verification indicates that the person requesting the transaction is who they say they are. This process is separate from authorization, whereby it is determined that an entity is granted specific rights or permissions. Simply proving identity does not guarantee the desired outcome of the transaction. Once the authority establishes that you are who you say you are, it then attempts to authorize you to complete that transaction: the ATM ensures that you have sufficient funds to cover the requested withdrawal; the cashier contacts the credit card issuer for purchase approval; and the customs agent checks that all necessary paperwork and visas are in place for a traveler to enter or exit a country.

Windows XP Professional, like Windows 2000, provides a sophisticated authentication system, which is examined in this chapter. Specific topics covered here include the mechanics of Windows XP authentication, the log-on process, configuration and management of authentication parameters, and best practices for secure authentication. We cover authorization in detail in Chapter 17, Authorization and Access Control.

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