Authentication is the process of checking whether a claim is genuine. It matters whenever people need to distinguish an authentic object, message, or identity from a counterfeit or false claim.
Identification indicates which person or thing is being referred to. Authentication goes further: it verifies that the claimed identity or origin is genuine. For example, naming a painting as the work of a particular artist is identification; checking evidence to determine whether that artist really created it is authentication.
All flashcards
Authentication vs. authorization
Authentication verifies an asserted identity; authorization determines which actions or resources that identity may access.
Three authentication factor categories
Knowledge is something a user knows, ownership is something they have, and inherence is something they are or do.
MFA vs. 2FA
Multi-factor authentication uses at least two factor categories; two-factor authentication uses exactly two.
Cryptographic signature verification
It can link a signature to a particular private key, but does not by itself establish every real-world fact about the key holder.
Continuous authentication
Repeatedly or continually checks whether the current user appears to be the authenticated user.
Quiz questions
What distinguishes authentication from identification?Answer: Identification indicates which person or thing is meant; authentication checks whether the claimed identity or origin is genuine.
In a PGP web of trust, how can people establish trust in one another's keys?Answer: They can personally verify and sign one another's cryptographic keys.
Which sequence describes the general digital authentication life cycle?Answer: Enrollment, authentication, and life-cycle maintenance.
What does cryptographic verification of a digital signature establish most directly?Answer: The signature was produced using the private key corresponding to the verified key.
What happens in a man-in-the-middle attack?Answer: An attacker intercepts communications and impersonates each party to the other.
Based on the Wikipedia article Authentication, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.