Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user who wants to access a system or digital resource. The goal is to ensure that the user does have authorized access to the system before enabling access to protected networks and systems.

 

 

 

The authentication process is generally carried out by asking the user to enter their identity in the form of a combination of username and password. However, you can also use other authentication factors such as fingerprints, facial recognition, QR codes, and others.

 

 

 

If the identity verification process is successful, the user will be given a token or session to be able to access the system. Next, authorization is carried out regarding the user’s specific access rights to resources in the system.

 

 

 

Some of the protocols/technologies used for authentication include OAuth, Basic Authentication, JSON Web Token (JWT), LDAP, OpenID, SAML, and others.

 

 

 

Examples of “authentication” in use in sentences

 

 

 

“The Bitcoin buying and selling site implements two-factor authentication to increase user account security.”

 

 

 

“Authentication is required to verify a user’s identity before being granted access to sensitive company data.”

 

 

 

“A password is required in the authentication process so that your email account is protected from illegal access.”

 

 

 

Source:

 

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/authentication