APC AP9218, AP9211, AP9217, AP9212 manual Security, Authentication

Security

Authentication

Authentication	The MasterSwitch PDU controls access by providing basic
versus encryption	authentication through user names, passwords, and IP addresses, but
	provides no type of encryption. These basic security features are
	sufficient for most environments, in which sensitive data is not being
	transferred. To ensure that data and communication between the
	MasterSwitch PDU and the client interfaces, such as Telnet and the
	Web browser, cannot be captured, you can provide a greater level of
	security by enabling MD5 authentication (described below) for the Web
	interface.
MD5	The Web interface option for MD5 authentication enables a higher level
authentication	of access security than the basic HTTP authentication scheme. The
(Web interface)	MD5 scheme is similar to CHAP and PAP remote access protocols.
	Enabling MD5 implements the following security features:
	• The Web server requests a user name and a password phrase
	(distinct from the password). The user name and password
	phrase are not transmitted over the network, as they are in
	basic authentication. Instead, a Java login applet combines the
	user name, password phrase, and a unique session challenge
	number to calculate an MD5 hash number. Only the hash num-
	ber is returned to the server to verify that the user has the cor-
	rect login information; MD5 authentication does not reveal the
	login information.
	• In addition to the login authentication, each form post for config-
	uration or control operations is authenticated with a unique chal-
	lenge and hash response.
	• After the authentication login, subsequent page access is
	restricted by IP addresses and a hidden session cookie. (You
	must have cookies enabled in your browser.) Pages are trans-
	mitted in their plain-text form, with no encryption.
	Continued on next page

MasterSwitch Power Distribution Unit User’s Guide 40