Authentication is a process used to confirm and verify the identity of someone that is accessing an information system or an application on the web. It confirms that they are who they claim to be and ensures that someone that is not who they claim to be is unable to access information on information systems or web applications.
It keeps out the unwanted users and ensures that only the verified and authenticated users are able to gain access to information systems. The reason for authentication on modern information systems is that unwanted and unverified users are often with an intention to damage or destroy the information when they have access to it.
With better standards of authentication, these users will be unable to gain access to information systems as they are unable to confirm and verify they are who they claim to be. Usually, modern information systems and web applications are coming up with a secondary means of authentication that acts as a two-step verification process while they are logging in to their information systems.
This form of authentication sends a code that has been generated by the system to a device that has the user’s phone number and they are expected to enter this code in addition to their passwords in order to be allowed into the information system or web application they are currently accessing. Two-factor verification of information and identities is also useful for ensuring that the users of the information systems are at the login section when the message is being sent to them.
This information is confidential and only provided to the person logging in when they are in the process of accessing the information. As such, they are able to prove they are currently attempting a login and unless they are able to enter the code, then it is proven that an impostor has been trying to access the information.
Security standards in modern authentication can also include the use of an additional application that is installed on the user’s mobile device such as their smartphone and whenever they try to log in, the application interacts with a web server which then generated a code or encryption key which ensures that they are proven to be the actual users and their sessions are made much more secure.
Hackers will not be able to penetrate such a system and even if they tried, they would not be able to take on the genuine identities to get past the security measures that have been put in place by the system. The hackers will also not have a means of verifying their identities and this means that even when they have the user names and the passwords, they won’t be able to get past the second verification procedure and as such, they will not be able to get past the security measures that have been put in place on the systems they are attempting to hack into.
This ensures safe information systems, safe web applications, and confident users that are proud of the security put in place for their information.
