Cybersecurity Authentication and Its Forms

How does an information system allow access to a person while ensuring that malicious agents don’t get access? It uses cybersecurity authentication methods to identify authentic users on the internet.

To authenticate a user’s identity before they can access a network, authentication uses various combinations of passcodes, QR codes, passwords, or biometric scans. Now there are several cybersecurity authentication methods that create a safe online gateway so that malicious attackers do not get access to sensitive and personal information in any computer system.

There are various ways in which users can authenticate themselves online to access their data and information across accounts. We discuss these forms of cybersecurity authentication and their uses in this article.

The Importance of Authentication

Securing accounts and data with passwords is not enough. As cyber attackers get more sophisticated, passwords can be easily hacked to get access to important and sensitive information like bank details and crucial business data.

Through the various types of authentication techniques, we can secure our account in several ways, as follows:

1. Passwords aren’t the Safest

Too many users end up securing their accounts using passwords that are too simple or common across all platforms. Such accounts and data can be easily hacked as attackers will be able to guess these passwords in no time! Furthermore, if a user has common passwords for all accounts, once the password is phished, all their accounts are compromised.

Here is a list of the most common and the most breached passwords for users across the internet:

• 123456
• 12345678
• 1234567890
• 111111
• abc123
• qwerty
• iloveyou
• letmein
• password

Evidently, these accounts are at a high risk of getting hacked.

2. Proper Authorization

By authenticating a user, the system can also know which user has logged in and can authorize the use of data and information further. This means that once the system knows which user is accessing data, it can authorize how much data they can see and where they head. Thus, it allows one to control how much sensitive information a user can access.

So, authentication is the contemporary form of securing data and accounts in a sophisticated manner. But what form of security authentication suits your needs. Read on to find out.

Types of Authentication for Optimal Cybersecurity

Basically, there are 3 ways to authenticate any user, which further take many forms. But here are the 4 ways with which a system can undertake the authentication process.

• Something you are (Face ID, fingerprint scanning, among others)
• Something you have (one-time token key from an external app)
• Something you know (passwords or security questions)
• Something you do (advanced behavioral)

Now, these are the basic ways in which we can differentiate different forms of cybersecurity authentication. Following are the most popular ways in which we can authenticate users:

1. Out-Of-Band Authentication (OOBA)

Out-of-band authentication necessitates that the communications channel used for the authentication purpose should be distinct from the one used to log in or approve any transaction. OOBA is also regarded as a type of cybersecurity two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA).

This means that if a transaction includes things like a substantial money transfer, it would automatically create a voice call, SMS, or app notification to complete the transaction. That is why it is far more difficult for an attacker to steal information or credentials if more than one channel is required.

2. Token Authentication

The process of token authentication is quite secure as with this protocol, encrypted security tokens—such as a dongle, card, or RFID chip—are generated to provide access to the user. This is hard for malicious attackers to compromise as the physical system and token are required to get access.

The process of token generation is also complex and requires five steps that include request, verification, token submission, storage, and expiration. This token-based approach grants access to apps, websites, and resources without having to prove the users’ identity each time they visit a new site.

3. Single Sign-On (SSO) Authentication

SSO is a session and an authentication service. And it allows a user to access various apps or sites using a single set of login credentials. SSO can be used by big firms, small businesses, and individuals to simplify the administration of multiple users and passwords.

Big firms achieve this by first designating a central domain (like an IAM system) and then establishing secure SSO linkages across resources. This procedure enables user authentication with domain monitoring. This, when combined with single sign-on, ensures that when legitimate users terminate their session, they securely log out of all related resources and apps.

4. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is a security measure that requires digital users to present at least 2 pieces of evidence to authenticate their identity. Hence, it is also called cyber security two-factor authentication (2FA).

The odds of another factor being penetrated by a hacker or unauthorized user are minimal, even if one of the factors has been compromised. This is because several authentication factors offer a higher level of assurance regarding the user’s identity.

5. Biometrics

While many security systems employ biometrics such as a fingerprint or retinal scan as authentication vectors, extremely sensitive security solutions frequently require both a password and a biometric verification. This authentication method compares a person’s traits to their person’s stored data in the form of a saved biometric template.

Fingerprint scans, voice verification, retinal and iris scans, and facial scans are all common biometric authentication methods.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your computer systems, files, and data safe with just user credentials like passwords is not enough when social engineering attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated. To secure systems with other authentication forms is known as cybersecurity authentication.

Access control on apps and devices is one of the best ways to protect data as most users have weaker passwords and complex passwords themselves are not enough. So, using external resources like an authentication app, one-time passwords, or things like a physical token to gain access in a secured manner.