Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What is the primary purpose of a RADIUS server in a network?

1. Network load balancing

2. Authentication and authorization

3. Data encryption

4. Firewall management

The correct answer is: Authentication and authorization

The primary purpose of a RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) server is to facilitate authentication and authorization for users attempting to access network resources. RADIUS operates as a centralized service, managing the process of validating user credentials and determining permissions based on predefined policies. When a user tries to connect to a network, their credentials (username and password) are sent to the RADIUS server, which then accesses a database to verify these credentials. If the information matches, the server authenticates the user and can also provide authorization levels, indicating what resources the user is allowed to access. This is particularly valuable in environments where secure access control is critical, such as in corporate networks or service providers that offer remote access to their systems. The strength of RADIUS lies in its ability to manage these authentication requests from multiple devices and maintain security standards across the network, thus streamlining the user access process while enhancing overall network security.