Security · Website glossary

Authentication

Quick answer · What is Authentication?

The process of checking that a person or system is who or what it claims to be.

IN PRACTICE

Authentication: an example

A site checks a user's login factors before establishing an authenticated session.

KEEP IN MIND

Authentication establishes identity; authorization determines what that identity may do.

Put the idea to work

Frequently asked questions

What is a practical example of Authentication?

A site checks a user's login factors before establishing an authenticated session.

How does authentication differ from authorization?

Authentication establishes identity; authorization determines what that identity may do.

Which concepts should I read alongside Authentication?

Authorization: The decision about which actions or resources an identity is allowed to access.
Multi-factor authentication: Authentication requiring evidence from more than one category of factor, such as something known and something possessed.