Authentication is a method for protecting services and
applications by verifying the identities of users so that only legitimate
users have access. Several firewall and Panorama features require
authentication. Administrators authenticate to access the web interface, CLI,
or XML API of the firewall and Panorama. End users authenticate
through Captive Portal or GlobalProtect to access various services
and applications. You can choose from several authentication services
to protect your network and to accommodate your existing security
infrastructure while ensuring a smooth user experience.
If you have a public key infrastructure, you can deploy certificates
to enable authentication without users having to manually respond
to login challenges (see
Certificate
Management). Alternatively, or in addition to certificates,
you can implement interactive authentication, which requires users
to authenticate using one or more methods. The following topics
describe how to implement, test, and troubleshoot the different
types of interactive authentication: