# User authentication reference
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Enabling user authentication provides you more control over your AWS Elemental systems. Authentication helps secure your nodes while also allowing you to do the following:
+ Track node activity on a per-user basis.
+ Limit accidental access to a node by allowing distinct login credentials for each node. This way, an operator with access to multiple nodes must enter the credentials for a specific node prior to sending any commands.

Whether or not you enable authentication, we recommend that all of your nodes are installed behind a customer firewall or on a private network.

The following sections provide more information about user authentication.

**Topics**
+ [Supported types of user authentication](auth-ref-type-auth.md)
+ [Authentication user types](auth-ref-type-user.md)