Authentication Definition
September 26, 2005 | 5 Comments
According to Internet2, authentication or AuthN is defined as:
Authentication is the process of establishing whether or not a real-world subject is who or what its identifier says it is. Identity can be proven by:
- Something you know, like a password
- Something you have, as with smartcards, challenge-response mechanisms, or public-key certificates
- Something you are, as with positive photo identification, fingerprints, and biometrics
Once again, this is a nice concise definition. It’s good to have these clearly defined to eliminate any confusion or debate when discussing, similar to what I did with my “Single Sign-On Definition” post.
Tags: authenticate, authentication, authn, biometrics, challenge-response, definition, fingerprints, identity management, internet2, middleware, password, passwords, smartcards