A security principal is a user or entity that can log in and be identified. There are two types: human users and computer systems. Each principal is granted rights, which can be simplified by grouping them. Authentication methods include username and password, IP checking, public key, and digital signature.
A security principal is any user or entity that can log on to a computer and be identified through the use of a username and password or other authentication method. There are two main security principals: a human user and another computer system. In addition to simplifying authentication, using a principal allows you to provide rights to each principal that allows or prevents a user from performing an activity, such as opening and editing a document. To simplify setting permission levels for administrators, you can group many security principals and grant or remove rights to the entire group.
When someone logs into a computer system, most computers will authenticate the security principal to make sure it’s real. The simplest way to do this is to provide the principal with a username and password, but there can be more advanced authentication methods, such as Internet Protocol (IP) checking, public key, and the principal’s digital signature. By authenticating the entity, the computer understands that the entity can be granted access to the system.
Each security principal is granted certain rights, depending on how the administrator sets up the system. Basic rights only allow the principal to open documents and, possibly, make simple changes to documents. More advanced rights allow the client to perform complex changes and access otherwise restricted sections of the computer system.
The security principal is usually a human user or another computer. Regardless of the rights granted to a human user, be it a basic user or an administrator, he is still considered a security principal. Most computer networks have other computers and digital systems attached to them, as these computers add extra functionality or perform tasks necessary to keep the networks running. To authenticate and entitle computers, you must designate them as security principals.
While an administrator can look at each security principal and determine what rights the principal has, this can take hours on large networks. To simplify this task, you can add an entity to a certain group with predefined rights. For example, if a new user is assigned a principal and assigned to the manager group, then he or she will automatically have all the rights associated with being a manager. Grouping doesn’t help much with authentication; it is mainly to assist the administrator in distributing rights.
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