Which term refers to the framework that negotiates authentication methods and establishes secure credential submission tunnels?

Which term refers to the framework that negotiates authentication methods and establishes secure credential submission tunnels?

• A. EAP
• B. RADIUS
• C. Supplicant
• D. Authenticator

Answer: (A)

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is the framework that negotiates which authentication method to use and sets up a secure channel for submitting credentials. In an 802.1X environment, the supplicant (the client) and the authentication server negotiate the specific EAP method (such as EAP-TLS or EAP-PEAP) and establish a protected tunnel, typically a TLS tunnel, through the authenticator. This tunnel protects credential transmission from eavesdropping or tampering as the credentials are exchanged with the authentication server (often via RADIUS). The other terms describe different roles or services: RADIUS is a server protocol for conveying authentication data, the supplicant is the client device, and the authenticator is the network device enforcing access control.

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is the framework that negotiates which authentication method to use and sets up a secure channel for submitting credentials. In an 802.1X environment, the supplicant (the client) and the authentication server negotiate the specific EAP method (such as EAP-TLS or EAP-PEAP) and establish a protected tunnel, typically a TLS tunnel, through the authenticator. This tunnel protects credential transmission from eavesdropping or tampering as the credentials are exchanged with the authentication server (often via RADIUS). The other terms describe different roles or services: RADIUS is a server protocol for conveying authentication data, the supplicant is the client device, and the authenticator is the network device enforcing access control.