Use Basic authentication to require that users provide a valid user name and password to access content. All major browsers support this authentication method and it works across firewalls and proxy servers. The disadvantage of Basic authentication is that it transmits passwords across the network using weak encryption. You should use Basic authentication only when you know that the connection between the client and the server is secure.
Disable Anonymous authentication if you use Basic authentication. The first request that all browsers send to a server is for anonymous access to server content. If you do not disable Anonymous authentication, users can anonymously access all the content on your server, including restricted content.
UI Element List
The following tables describe the UI elements that are available on the feature page and in the Actions pane.
Feature Page Elements
| Element Name | Description |
|---|---|
Basic Authentication | Select to manage Basic authentication. |
Actions Pane Elements
| Element Name | Description |
|---|---|
Enable | Turns on Basic authentication. |
Disable | Turns off Basic authentication. |
Edit | Displays the Edit Basic Authentication Settings dialog box where you can set the default domain and realm. You can perform this action only when you select Basic Authentication the list on the feature page. |