A Secure Network Access Protocol (SNAP)

Both the size, and the interconnectivity of computer networks are increasing tremendously. However, the possibility of an attack compromising the network is also increasing, making network security critical. Strong authentication protocols are needed to restrict network access to only authorised users. Most existing protocols for authentication and network access are based on centralised authentication using one authentication server or certificate authority that is unconditionally trusted. Despite the use of strong authentication mechanisms, the process is between the user and a single authentication entity. In these protocols, the decision to authenticate or grant service to users is controlled by this single entity. Centralised authentication protocols suffer certain drawbacks. In this paper, a new protocol Secure Network Access Protocol (SNAP) is proposed. SNAP increases network security and availability by distributing the trust between several authentication entities.