Term · 2. Authentication & Authorization
Authentication AuthN
Definition
Process of verifying that a principal is who they claim to be. Three classic factors: knowledge (password, PIN), possession (token, phone), inherence (biometric). Single-factor uses one; MFA combines two or more independent factors. Modern approaches: passwordless via FIDO/passkeys, certificate-based, biometric. NIST SP 800-63B AAL levels articulate strength.
- Application
- MidPoint: Authentication is a mechanism by which a computer system checks that the user is really the one she or he claims to be.
Related terms
-
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
Authentication requiring two or more independent factors from different categories: knowledge (password), possession (ph …
-
Credential
Data presented to authenticate or authorize — password, token, certificate, biometric, API key. NIST SP 800-63 distingui …
-
Identity Provider (IdP)
System that authenticates users and issues identity assertions (SAML responses, OIDC ID tokens) to relying parties. Cent …
-
Kerberos
Network authentication protocol developed at MIT (Kerberos v5: IETF RFC 4120, 2005) using symmetric-key cryptography and …
-
Login
Common term for the user-facing authentication interaction — entering credentials at a sign-in form. Modern patterns: pa …
-
Passwordless Authentication
Authentication without passwords, using phishing-resistant factors: FIDO2 passkeys, hardware tokens, biometric authentic …