In
IT security
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, th ...
, a ticket is a number generated by a network
server for a
client
Client(s) or The Client may refer to:
* Client (business)
* Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer
* Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuabl ...
, which can be delivered to itself, or a different server as a means of
authentication
Authentication (from ''authentikos'', "real, genuine", from αὐθέντης ''authentes'', "author") is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicat ...
or proof of
authorization
Authorization or authorisation (see spelling differences) is the function of specifying access rights/privileges to resources, which is related to general information security and computer security, and to access control in particular. More f ...
, and cannot easily be forged. This usage of the word originated with
MIT's
Kerberos protocol in the 1980s. Tickets may either be ''transparent'', meaning they can be recognized without contacting the server that generated them; or ''opaque'', meaning the original server must be contacted to verify that it issued the ticket.
Some
magic cookies provide the same functionality as a ticket.
Computer network security
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