Process of Authentification

Authentication is the procedure by which a server identifies who is accessing an array of resources. It is the process of relating incoming requests with a series of identifying qualifications. The details provided are matched against credentials stored in a database engineered in an authentication server. The authentication operation usually runs at the initialization of an application, before the initialization of permission and throttling inspections. Notably, the process takes place before any other code detailing a system is allowed to run. Different systems demand different kinds of credentials to verify users’ identities.

The most common authentication process entails the leverage of user names and passwords. Other forms of authentication can be run through fingerprints, voice recognition, cards, and retina scans. Authentication cannot determine the resources accessed by a user or the tasks carried out by a user. The process merely identifies and verifies the person or the system trying to access information or carry out a given task.

As security concerns continue to grow, organizations are emphasizing on the continual identification process, which continually implements authentication scores, thus reflecting the probability of whether the user is genuine or has been hacked. Unlike normal authentication processes that implement checkpoints once, the continuous approach re-verifies users’ identities even after logging into a system.  The advantage of continuous authentication is that it is a highly proactive approach that factors in user behavior, location, and an array of other personal details, thus implementing a robust layer of protection. Furthermore, the approach has incorporated biometrics as an additional authentication layer to geolocation-based authentication.

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