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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Foundational

Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)

Framework that verifies identity, determines permitted actions, and records what users do.

Definition

AAA is the access control framework used by network and system security. Authentication proves who a subject is, authorization grants or denies access to resources, and accounting logs activity for auditing, billing, and accountability. RADIUS, TACACS+, and Diameter are common AAA protocols.

Example

A switch sends 802.1X login attempts to a RADIUS server, which authenticates the user, assigns a VLAN, and logs session start and stop records.

Exam tip

Some frameworks add identification as a first step (IAAA); know that accounting is what creates the audit trail.

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