What does the Sophos Firewall use to distinguish between different users accessing the network?

The Sophos Firewall utilizes User Identification to distinguish between different users accessing the network. This feature enables the firewall to authenticate users based on various identity methods such as Active Directory, RADIUS, or LDAP. By leveraging User Identification, the firewall can enforce security policies and access controls specific to each user or group, enhancing overall network security.

This ability allows for more granular control over user actions and helps in monitoring activities effectively. Essentially, User Identification ties network activity back to individual users, facilitating better tracking, reporting, and policy implementation compared to a generic approach that doesn’t account for user identities. This mechanism is crucial for creating a secure environment and managing user access in a dynamic and complex network landscape.

Other options like Traffic Shaping focus on managing bandwidth and prioritizing traffic rather than identifying users. Access Control Lists are primarily used for defining permissions rather than distinguishing user identities, and Network Segmentation is about dividing the network into segments for security and performance rather than identifying users specifically.