Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

In a centralized AAA solution, which server component is essential to implement?

1. Access Point

2. RADIUS server

3. Proxy server

4. DHCP server

The correct answer is: RADIUS server

In a centralized AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) solution, the RADIUS server plays a critical role as it serves as the main component for managing user credentials and access rights across the network. The RADIUS server is responsible for authenticating users, determining their access levels based on policies, and logging their activities for accounting purposes. This centralized approach allows for consistent management of user identities and access control, making it easier to enforce security policies and manage users from a single point. The effectiveness of AAA is heavily reliant on the RADIUS server, ensuring that only authorized users can access the system while maintaining detailed records of their actions, which is essential for security audits and compliance. Other components like access points, proxy servers, and DHCP servers have their own purposes within a network, such as facilitating connections or assigning IP addresses, but they do not directly provide the comprehensive authentication and accounting functionalities that the RADIUS server is specifically designed to deliver in a centralized AAA framework.