tunnusten

Tunnukset is a Finnish term referring to the identifiers and credentials that people or systems use to prove identity and gain access to digital services and resources. The plural tunnukset denotes more than one such item. In Finnish text, the genitive plural tunnusten is used to express possession or relation to these credentials, for example “tunnusten hallinta” (management of credentials).

In IT and security contexts, tunnukset encompass both the identifiers used to locate an account (such as usernames) and the credentials used to authenticate (such as passwords, tokens, or certificates). They form the basis of authentication and influence authorization decisions within a system.

Common tunnukset include usernames, passwords, PINs, one-time codes, hardware security keys (such as FIDO devices), API keys, OAuth tokens, and digital certificates used in TLS or client authentication. Different systems may treat some items as separate or combined credentials depending on the authentication method employed.

Security and lifecycle management of tunnukset involve securing storage, strong authentication, and controlled lifecycles. Passwords should be stored as salted hashes; multi-factor authentication should be used where possible; credential rotation and revocation should be enforced; access should adhere to the principle of least privilege; and monitoring for leakage or compromise should be in place.

Identity and access management (IAM) systems support the governance of tunnukset, including provisioning, auditing, and deprovisioning. Organizations face threats such as phishing, credential stuffing, and reuse of passwords, which drive the adoption of stronger controls, user education, and automated credential management.