Secure Network Access Authentication for IoT Devices: EAP Framework vs. Individual Protocols

Abstract

Secure bootstrapping of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is often a multi-step process that begins with enabling Internet access through a local wireless network. The process of enabling Internet access on IoT devices includes network discovery and selection, access authentication, and configuration of necessary credentials and parameters. On one hand, there are many standard protocols available for network access authentication of IoT devices. On the other hand, Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is a standard framework with support for many authentication methods, and it is primarily used for network access authentication in enterprise networks. This article discusses whether the EAP framework is beneficial for network access authentication of IoT devices.