(1) A network authentication protocol that is designed to provide strong authentication for client/server applications by using secret-key cryptography. See also Kerberos ticket.
(2) A network authentication protocol that is based on symmetric key cryptography. Kerberos assigns a unique key, called a ticket, to each user who logs on to the network. The ticket is embedded in messages that are sent over the network. The receiver of a message uses the ticket to authenticate the sender.