Who are you? Authentication technologies ensure users are who they claim to be.

• Author: Cieslak, David
• Position: USER IDENTIFICATION

Today, more than ever, protecting your electronic identity is a top priority. In addition to normal security precautions, such as using antivirus software and keeping system patches up to date, computer users must be on guard against phishing scams and other high-tech methods used by identity thieves, who seek to coax you into surrendering your personal information.

So, how can you combat this problem and better protect your vital information?

Meet authentication technologies.

Authentication technologies are not new. In fact, a number of products and strategies have been around since the early days of computing.

However, a heightened awareness and increased affordability of these technologies is pushing them to the forefront.

In simplest terms, authentication technologies ensure that individuals are who they claim to be. The technologies fall under three broad categories: something you know, something you have and something you are.

Passwords, tokens, public key infrastructure and biometrics are all examples of authentication technologies that can help verify identity and control access to resources--and each falls within one of these three broad classifications.

PASSWORDS

Passwords are the least expensive and most common type of authentication technology and are based on "something you know."

Passwords require users to remember a string of characters and enter this information when prompted to gain access to a desired resource. Unfortunately, passwords also are one of the weakest forms of authentication technology and users themselves are typically at the root of this weakness.

Often, users share passwords, making them a poor means of individual identification. Or, passwords are left blank, not changed for long periods of time, re-used across multiple accounts or overly simplistic, leaving your password vulnerable to hacking via freely available tools.

While passwords should continue to play a role in user authentication, they should not be overly relied upon because of their inherent limitations.

TOKENS

Under the "something you have" category, token-based authentication technologies--such as magnetic strips (credit cards), smart cards, SecurID cards or USB keys--hold longer, harder-to-break "secrets" that are more difficult to hack or reproduce.

The weakness with authentication technologies is that tokens afford little protection if they are lost or stolen.

And similar to passwords, simple possession of these objects often serves as the...