A method or system for authentication and access control in for network device management is disclosed. The method or system may include establishing a communication channel between a user device and a network device and receiving, by the network device, a public-key certificate including a specified identity of the user device. The method or system may include determining whether the public-key certificate is valid against a root certificate stored in the network device, and determining an actual identity of the user device. The method or system may include indicating that the user device is authentic and authorized when the received public-key is valid against the root certificate and when the actual identity of the user device matches the specified identity in the public-key certificate.