Network access using hardware-based security

Abstract

An endpoint device uses hardware-based security to authenticate to an enterprise network. For example, an endpoint device such as network hardware or an end user device can request authentication in order to join an enterprise network that is managed by a computing platform such as a threat management facility. In one aspect, an authenticator at the computing platform sends a challenge payload in response to the request from the endpoint device. The endpoint device may then sign the challenge payload with a hardware-based security system that was bound to the endpoint device at manufacture, and return a response to the authenticator that includes the signed challenge payload. The authenticator can cryptographically validate the response and generate an authentication token for use by the endpoint device when joining the enterprise network.