Port based security through 802.1x is a valid measure to help protect the network against unauthorized access.
802.1x is an IEEE standard for port-based network access control (PNAC). It provides an authentication mechanism to devices wishing to attach to a LAN or WLAN. 802.1x authentication involves three parties: a supplicant, an authenticator, and an authentication server. The supplicant is a client device that wishes to access the network. The authenticator is a network device that provides a data link between the client and the network and can allow or block network traffic between the two, such as an Ethernet switch or wireless access point. The authentication server is a trusted server that can receive and respond to requests for network access, and can tell the authenticator if the connection is to be allowed, and various settings that should apply to that client's connection. By implementing port based security through 802.1x, the network can prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the network resources and ensure that only authenticated and authorized devices can communicate on the network. References: IEEE 802.1X - Wikipedia; What Is 802.1X Authentication? How Does 802.1x Work? - Fortinet; 802.1X: Port-Based Network Access Control - IEEE 802