Authentication (information security): Difference between revisions
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In [[information security]], the processes of [[identification, authentication and credentialing]] are closely linked, '''authentication''' being the technologies and procedures used to confirm one's identification to a secure information system. You can think of it as a safeguard against [[identity theft]]. | |||
One of the basic ways to think about authentication is that it confirms your purported identity with: | |||
*Something you '''know''' (e.g., a [[password]]) | |||
*Something you '''have''' (e.g., a [[key (lock)]] or [[security token]]) | |||
*Something you '''are''' (e.g., a [[biometrics|biometric attribute]], or perhaps a confirmed location | |||
These are all '''factors''' in authentication, along with your claimed identity. '''Two-factor authentication''', at its most basic, is the combination of user ID and password. | |||
Revision as of 11:39, 6 May 2010
In information security, the processes of identification, authentication and credentialing are closely linked, authentication being the technologies and procedures used to confirm one's identification to a secure information system. You can think of it as a safeguard against identity theft.
One of the basic ways to think about authentication is that it confirms your purported identity with:
- Something you know (e.g., a password)
- Something you have (e.g., a key (lock) or security token)
- Something you are (e.g., a biometric attribute, or perhaps a confirmed location
These are all factors in authentication, along with your claimed identity. Two-factor authentication, at its most basic, is the combination of user ID and password.