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Security Authentication

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Submitted By jasonbieber
Words 1455
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Securing and Protecting Information
Authentication is a very common aspect of today's technology world. Anyone that uses a computer or mobile device has most likely used some form of it when logging into school accounts, shopping online, using social media, or accessing systems at work. What most individuals do not realize is that there are differing forms of authentication and ways it is used. Additionally, most people will not have any idea what is going on behind the scenes during authentication. He or she only knows that a login ID and password are required to gain access to the system.
What is Authentication? The authentication process and other considerations affect the entire design and development for information systems. This and other preventative measures are used for securing data over a variety of systems. In order to learn about the authentication process, first it must be understood what security authentication is. The commonly accepted definition of security authentication is, according to “The business Of Authentication” (n.d.) “…the process of determining if a user or identity is who they claim to be. Authentication is accomplished using something the user knows (e.g. password), something the user has (e.g. security token) or something of the user (e.g. biometric) (para. 1). The important terms here are something the user has and something the user knows. In early authentication processes like automated teller machines (ATM), this idea was used by giving the user a card with an ID number on it (something the user has), then requiring a personal identification number or PIN (something the user knows). A malicious user would not only have to have an ATM card but know the PIN to access funds from the account. Online accounts use the same basic ideas for authentication. Now a third factor has been added to some authentication systems.

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