Authentication Types in Information Security
For commerce and business, digital devices, as well as computers, have become increasingly popular. With increased use, comes the additional weight of having an attack target on the business. Confidence in the users arises when one is sure that the device in use is also secure. There are various measures employed to ensure the threats are mitigated, and one of them is through authentication. Authentication restricts mostly individuals with no clearance to protect data they are not cleared to access (Kim, D., & Solomon, 2016).
Authentication means to identify if a person is indeed who they say they are. Individuals can be identified through the use of three aspects which include:
Identifying an individual by what they know
Most authentication measures involve the use of passwords and user IDs. This is a case of authentication by what the individual knows. But this method has demonstrated a variety of weaknesses. This single-factor method is the easiest to bypass (Kim, D., & Solomon, 2016). It is only through the use of complex passwords that data security will be improved. Also, passwords in an organization should be frequently changed. Employees should be trained to avoid sharing this crucial information.
Authentication by what they possess.
In this case, a card, key, or a key card may be used to gain access to different rooms. This is problematic because physical possession of something is susceptible to being lost or in adverse cases, being stolen (Kim, D., & Solomon, 2016). When individuals lose these identities, then their identities are as good as the stolen keys. It also limits access as it can only be applied when close to it. It is an expensive method because every time there is a new hire, smartcards have to be bought (Bourgeois et al., 2015). It is also risky because cheaper devices can be used to hack many keycards. An alternative to using keys and cards could be the use of smartphones. However, they are susceptible to theft and stolen identities.
Authentication by something you are
This involves much of an individual’s physical features, such as eye scanning or fingerprinting. With this, compromising an individual’s identity is much harder. Using physical features to identify someone is called biometrics (Bourgeois et al., 2015). Other examples include retina scanning, facial recognition, voice patterns, and taking palm prints. Compared to the three, it ensures convenience because one can carry their fingerprints anywhere they go. It is hard to duplicate an individual’s retina scan or facial recognition.
However, for proper access control, is a multi-factor process of identification. Combining at least two methods makes the compromise process harder for those who would want to try. There is an example of an integrated authentification system called RSA token for ID (Bourgeois et al., 2015). There is an RSA device that facilitates password change every sixty seconds. It also has a place for something an individual knows, a password. The password should contain both letters and numbers….