A company is utilizing RADIUS for capturing User-ID information. What is essential for implementing user-based policies effectively?

For effectively implementing user-based policies in a network that utilizes RADIUS for capturing User-ID information, ensuring RADIUS server availability is crucial. The RADIUS server is responsible for authenticating users and providing the necessary user identification information to the network security devices, such as firewalls.

If the RADIUS server is unavailable, devices will be unable to authenticate users or retrieve User-ID information, rendering user-based policies ineffective. These policies often rely on real-time user data to apply appropriate access controls and security measures. Thus, ensuring high availability of the RADIUS server minimizes downtime and maintains the integrity of user-based security decisions across the network.

The other options, while potentially beneficial to a network's overall security posture, do not directly impact the fundamental requirement of accessing user information for policy enforcement in real-time.