How Directory Proxy Server Provides Security

Directory Proxy Server provides security through a combination of the following methods:

• Encryption

  Encryption protects the privacy of information. When data is encrypted, the data is scrambled in a way that only a legitimate recipient can decode. Directory Proxy Server supports SSL encryption. For information about SSL, see Secure Sockets Layer for Directory Proxy Server.

• Authentication

  Authentication is a means for one party to verify another’s identity. For example, a client gives a password to Directory Proxy Server during an LDAP bind operation. Policies define the criteria that a password must satisfy to be considered valid, for example, age, length, and syntax. Directory Proxy Server supports anonymous authentication, password-based authentication, and certificate-based authentication. For information about authentication, see Chapter 21, Directory Proxy Server Client Authentication.

• Access control instructions (ACIs)

  ACIs govern the access rights granted to client applications, and provide a way of specifying required credentials or bind attributes. Directory Proxy Server implements access control through request filtering policies and through virtual ACIs. For information about request filtering policies , see Request Filtering Policies for Connection Handlers. For information about virtual ACIs, see Access Control On Virtual Data Views.

• Auditing and Logs

  Auditing can be used to determine whether security has been compromised. The log files maintained by Directory Proxy Server can be audited to track who has accessed the server, and what operations they have performed. For information about log files, see Chapter 24, Directory Proxy Server Alerts and Monitoring and Chapter 23, Directory Proxy Server Logging.