What is the purpose of Captive Portal?

The purpose of Captive Portal is to authenticate users, thereby granting them access to the Internet and corporate resources. This technology is commonly employed in environments where secure and controlled access to the network is necessary, such as guest networks in businesses or educational institutions. When users attempt to access the Internet, they are redirected to a web-based login page where they need to provide credentials. Upon successful authentication, the Captive Portal allows the users to access network resources.

This functionality is crucial in maintaining security and ensuring that only authorized users can connect to network resources, which is essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining compliance with policies. The ability to restrict access based on authentication helps prevent unauthorized users from consuming bandwidth or potentially exploiting vulnerabilities within the network.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the role of Captive Portal. For example, managing user permissions in SmartConsole relates more to administrative tasks rather than user authentication for network access. Remote access to SmartConsole pertains to managing the Check Point environment, which doesn't involve the direct authentication of end users for network usage. Similarly, authenticating users for access to the Gaia OS refers to system-level access, which is distinct from the application's focus on network resource access.