Wired 802.1x Security

Any typical TCP/IP network that uses DHCP is defenseless against individuals who can find an unsecured network drop . The DHCP server dutifully grants the unauthorized computer an IP address, and the attacker is able to launch a variety of attacks, such as breaking into specific servers, eavesdropping on network packets, and unleashing a worm or Denial of Service (DoS) attack. An Internet attacker breaching your firewall would have the same level of access. 802.1x provides a solution for such problems. It is mostly used to secure Wi-Fi networks, but 802.1x can provide protection even for the wired network. This paper shows how to implement this IEEE standard on a wired network to guard against unauthorized individuals exploiting physical access to the network.