EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol)

The Extensible Authentication Protocol (RFC 3748) is a framework for carrying arbitrary authentication methods over a transport such as 802.1X, RADIUS, IPsec, or PPP. Common EAP methods include EAP-TLS (mutual certificate authentication), EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, and EAP-AKA' used for 5G authentication. EAP method selection determines the actual security properties; EAP-TLS and EAP-AKA' are the strongest commonly deployed.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkSecurity ControlsProtocols and Standards

EAP in context

The radio access network is the layer where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations, downgrade attacks and jamming, and defenses hinge on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

Security controls in telecom span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening at the network edge), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both the packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36 and, in Europe, NIS2 sectoral rules.

To place EAP in the wider telecom-security picture, review SSH, 6G, DOCSIS, RADIUS, IKEv2 and HTTP/2 Security in 5G.

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