LDAP Security Feature

LDAP Security Feature

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a software protocol that enables anyone to locate individuals, organizations and other resources such as files and devices in a network, whether on the public internet or on a corporate intranet. Since its first version LDAP has undergone significant changes, and many of them concern security. LDAP is another Internet alternative to X.500 Directory Access Protocol, it was originated to use LDAP as the only way to access the X.500 directory via LDAP gateway. Functionality of LDAP was extended which enables LDAP version 3 to be used for both the client and the server model to update and read the access protocol.  

Features of LDAP security would include the followings:

-          Using basic authentication or Microsoft Windows NT LAN Manager NTLM as a limited access to authorized users

-          It also supports Negotiation method

-          Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol that ensure data is not sniffed by outsiders or hackers using physical access to network

-          RootDSE – LDAP version 3 as server maintains a supportedLDAP version attribute in the root DSE that identifies LDAP versions for implementations

-          RootDSE – Extension  refers to server maintains a supportedExtension attribute in the rootDSE that enables extended operations

References:

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fiel5%2F65%2F17493%2F00806992.pdf%3Farnumber%3D806992&authDecision=-203

                                  

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa913688.aspx

http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/LDAP

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