Policy Server Guides › Policy Server Configuration Guide › Authentication Schemes › RADIUS CHAP/PAP Authentication Schemes › PAP Overview

PAP Overview

The Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) provides a simple method for a user to authenticate using a 2-way handshake. PAP only executes this process during the initial link to the authenticating server. With this scheme, an Id/Password pair is repeatedly sent by the user's machine to the authenticating server until authentication is acknowledged or the connection is terminated.

This authentication method is most appropriately used where a plain text password must be available to simulate a login at a remote host. In such use, this method provides a similar level of security to the usual user login at the remote host.