APC AP7900 manual Using the APC Security Wizard, Overview, Authentication

Switched Rack PDU

USER’S GUIDE

®

Using the APC Security Wizard

Overview

Authentication

Authentication verifies the identity of a user or a network device (such as an APC Switched Rack PDU). Passwords typically identify computer users. However, for transactions or communications requiring more stringent security methods on the Internet, the Switched Rack PDU supports more secure methods of authentication.

•Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), used for secure Web access, uses digital certificates for authentication. A digital CA root certificate is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) as part of a public key infrastructure, and its digital signature must match the digital signature on a server certificate on the Rack PDU.

•Secure SHell (SSH), used for remote terminal access to the Rack PDU’s control console, uses a public host key for authentication rather than a digital certificate.

How certificates are used. Most Web browsers, including all browsers supported by the Switched Rack PDU, contain a set of CA root certificates from all of the commercial Certificate Authorities.

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