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Communicating, accessing data and transacting data over intranet or internet networks need to be secured from hackers and viruses. Without any reliable security feature, network communication will be drastically compromised. There is a high probability that the transmitted and stored data will be corrupted, become unusable or misleading. At worst compromised data may seem useful but may actually do damage in the system when accessed. Securing networks Hence, it is necessary to implement security measures that will protect against unauthorized access and malicious intents. There are various types of authentication protocols that allow for the protection of data that are being transmitted or accessed. The SharePoint software has built-in capabilities for securing data through encryptions but it needs network protocols to implement its security features. The software is a flexible platform that is mainly used for information management and real-time collaboration. It is also used to develop specific software applications that are customized to the operations of business entities. In some cases, it is necessary to customize the SharePoint-based software applications on per project basis. The security features may also need to be tweaked accordingly. The platform supports two main types of authentication protocols, namely, the Kerberos protocol and the NTLM protocol. Kerberos protocol The Kerberos protocol is a type of network authentication protocol that secures users' log-in data and servers' data by using "tickets." These tickets facilitate the encrypted communication of nodes over network paths that are non-secured. The system allows nodes and server to prove their identities to each other, thereby securing the communication. The system design of this protocol is based on the client-server model. The mutual verification requirements of the system prevent the unauthorized access of hackers and malicious software. The exchanges of data or communications between the server and users and among the users' nodes are secured by using the Kerberos protocol. They are shielded against espionages or eavesdropping and replay attacks. In order for Kerberos to operate it requires a trusted third party. It builds security protection based on symmetric cryptography. It is a type of reciprocal cryptography wherein the sender and the receiver must be able to authenticate themselves to each other. The protocol also uses public key cryptography at specific stages of the authentication process. Port 88 is used by this protocol by default. On one hand, the protocol uses client-based authentication. This means that users have to enter usernames and passwords in order to have access to the server. The log-in details become the unique identifications of the users that are also encrypted in the system. NTLM protocol Windows-based platforms such as SharePoint use NTLM protocol or NT LAN Manager protocol to provide confidentiality, security and authentication to users. It is the immediate successor of Microsoft LAN Manager, which is an older product suite. The NTLM is designed to facilitate retroactive compatibility with various earlier and later platforms such as the LANMAN. It is designed to protect against spoofing attacks of malicious agents, either manually-initiated or automated. This protocol is no longer being recommended by Microsoft because of lack of support when it comes to recent cryptographic methods, which includes AES and SHA-256 encryptions. It utilizes cyclic redundancy check to establish network integrity but the encryption is achieved through RC4 method. Kerberos has superseded the older protocols as the default protocol for authenticating the access of users. Nonetheless, the older protocol is still used in many instances especially when a client is not Kerberos-capable. I fyou want to know more about the topic discussed in the article, you can visit conducive website. You can further explore this conducive.com.au for other details about the services being offered.
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Kerberos protocol, NTLM protocol, SharePoint,
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