Identity management and access control

Identity management and access control start with authentication, and integral part of the network security infrastructure. Good two-factor and multi-factor authentication policies and procedures are foundations of a strong security framework.

Password and user ID management can be a source of major frustration and expense for many IT departments.

Network access control allows only compliant and trusted endpoint devices, such as PCs, servers, and PDAs, onto the network, restricting the access of noncompliant devices, and thereby limiting the potential damage from emerging security threats and risks.

Remote access security is now built into many operating systems, because most organizations need to access corporate IT services from outside the office walls. The most common method for securing remote Internet connections is a VPN. VPN protocols are built into many OSs and can be implemented in their most basic forms at low cost.

Access control is the ability to permit or deny the use of a particular resource by a particular entity. Web access control is specifically applied to digital resources. For example, a private text document on a computer, which only certain users should be able to read.