Authenticate

Authenticate is a verb meaning to prove or verify something as genuine or true, or to establish the identity of a person or device. In law, finance, and digital systems, authentication is the process of confirming that claims about identity or provenance are valid. It is distinct from authorization, which concerns access rights.

In information security, authentication verifies that the entity presenting a claim is indeed who or what it claims to be. It typically precedes authorization and may rely on credentials, cryptographic evidence, or behavioral signals. Modern systems often require multiple factors to strengthen assurance.

Common authentication methods include knowledge factors (passwords, PINs), possession factors (security tokens, smart cards, mobile devices), and biometric factors (fingerprint, facial recognition). When more than one factor is used, the process is called multi-factor authentication; two-factor authentication is the simplest form. Digital credentials such as certificates and login tokens are also used.

In digital networks, authentication protocols enable secure verification. Examples include password-based authentication, certificate-based authentication, and federated schemes such as Kerberos, OAuth 2.0 with OpenID Connect, SAML, and WebAuthn (passwordless authentication via hardware keys or built-in biometrics).

Security considerations include phishing, credential stuffing, and replay attacks. Best practices emphasize MFA, passwordless options, phishing-resistant methods, secure credential storage (hashing with salt), and ongoing auditing to ensure only legitimate entities are granted access.