Authentication

Authentication is one of the most attacked processes by malicious users, because it could be the weak link in the security chain.

There are instances when it is enough to be authenticated with a single method (single factor authentication), while there are other cases where more security is needed, so a multiple factor authentication is preferred.

The authentication can be performed in three different ways based on what you use to identify the person:

• Something you know: This is a way to identify a user using something like a PIN, a password, or a passphrase
• Something you have: This is a way to identify a user using something like a smart card or a badge
• Something you are: This is a way to identify a user using biometrical characteristics of the user.

Something you know

This is the most common way to authenticate a person.

In this method, there is a preshared secret between the parties that is revealed to ensure the identity of the other party.

As you can imagine this method can...