Which EAP method is described as using public key infrastructure with certificates installed on both the client and the server?

Which EAP method is described as using public key infrastructure with certificates installed on both the client and the server?

• A. EAP-TLS
• B. EAP-MD5
• C. EAP-TTLS
• D. EAP-FAST

Answer: (A)

Mutual certificate-based authentication using a PKI-backed TLS handshake is what EAP-TLS uses. In this method, both the client and the server hold digital certificates issued by a trusted certificate authority. During the TLS handshake, the server proves its identity with its certificate, and the client also presents its certificate to prove its identity to the server. This bidirectional certificate exchange, under a PKI, provides strong, certificate-based authentication and establishes a secure, encrypted channel for further credentials or data.

Other EAP methods don’t fit this description because they don’t require certificates on both sides. For example, one method uses a simple password-based challenge without certificate-based mutual authentication. Another method involves a TLS tunnel where the server is authenticated and inner credentials are used inside the tunnel, but the client may not present a certificate. The last method uses a protected tunnel approach that is typically configured with pre-shared or PAC-based credentials rather than a full client certificate setup.