Kerberos: An Authentication Service for Computer Networks

摘要

Modern computer systems provide service to multiple users and require the ability to accurately identify the user making a request. In traditional systems, the user's identity is verified by checking a password typed during login; the system records the identity and uses it to determine what operations may be performed. The process of verifying the user's identity is called authentication. Password-based authentication is not suitable for use on computer networks. Passwords sent across the network can be intercepted and subsequently used by eavesdroppers to impersonate the user. While this vulnerability has been long known, it was recently demonstrated on a major scale with the discovery of planted password collecting programs at critical points on the Internet.