Which security method helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks?

Authentication verifies the identity of users or devices, ensuring that only legitimate parties can access the network. In a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, an attacker intercepts communication between two parties. Strong authentication mechanisms, such as digital certificates or mutual authentication, make it difficult for an attacker to impersonate a legitimate party and successfully insert themselves into the communication path. Without proper authentication, an attacker could easily pose as one of the communicating parties. Anti-replay protects against attackers retransmitting valid data packets, but doesn't prevent the initial interception. Authorization determines what resources an authenticated user can access, but doesn't verify their identity. Accounting tracks user activity, which is useful for auditing but not for preventing MITM attacks.