Exam CAS-004 topic 1 question 567 discussion

802.1X is a network access control protocol that provides port-based authentication to devices attempting to connect to a network. When applied, it ensures that only authorized devices or systems can connect to the network. This solution helps protect against unauthorized access and can be used to ensure that only legitimate systems are allowed to communicate over the network. For an environment where maintenance operations are performed by a data center operator, this is critical because it prevents malicious insiders (such as maintenance personnel) from gaining unauthorized access to the network during their tasks, reducing the risk of data exfiltration. By configuring 802.1X, you ensure that even if an attacker gains physical access to the infrastructure or is able to connect a device to the network during maintenance, they cannot access sensitive systems without proper authentication. It helps ensure that the network is accessible only by authorized systems with valid credentials.