As information processing continues to move toward an open systems environment, the advantages of authentication and key distribution systems over traditional passwords are becoming more and more evident. In this timely guide for computer scientists, electrical engineers, and networking specialists, author Rolf Oppliger explains and compares the various authentication and key distribution systems available today, including Kerberos, NetSP, SPX, TESS, and SESAME. The book explores the cryptographic techniques used for these systems - and shows how to use them to provide the best security for your network.