Strong Authentication
Ransomware attacks, malware, DDoS attacks, phishing, Trojan horses: many cyberthreats lurk in the digital world. A powerful, resilient, and reliable authentication system is more important than ever for organizations that want to keep cyber risks at bay. Strong authentication is an effective way to strengthen your digital defenses and reduce your exposure to attacks by hackers and cybercriminals. But what exactly is strong authentication? Which tools are available to implement it? And how does it differ from basic authentication? Read on for the answers to these key questions.
What is Strong Authentication?
Strong authentication is a method that uses multiple factors to verify the identity of a digital user or device. The system or admin therefore does not only ask for a username and password, but requires the user or requester to present one or two additional authentication factors before granting access or permissions.
Usually it involves something personal that only the user or requester would know, have, or be. Examples include highly specific personal information, biometric data (iris scan, fingerprint), a personal identification number (PIN), or a message or code sent to a mobile phone or computer.
Common examples of strong authentication are two-factor authentication and multifactor authentication. In the former, the system asks for an additional verification factor in addition to the username and password. With multifactor authentication, the user or requester must complete more than two verification steps before gaining access.
How Does it Differ From Basic Authentication?
The main difference between basic and strong authentication is that because the second method uses multiple credentials, the likelihood of someone gaining unauthorized access to a system, network, device, or digital environment is much lower. Even if a username and password are stolen or guessed, that is still far from sufficient to get in.
A good example most of us use frequently is logging in to online banking. After entering your PIN and card number, you must enter a unique time-based code before you can access the system. Two-factor authentication is considered the minimum verification level that falls within the definition of strong authentication.
Strong Authentication is Not Authorization
Although the terms are related, strong authentication is not the same as authorization. Even if you complete all verification steps successfully, a system or admin can still choose to impose limitations. For example, a system administrator can restrict access to certain files or parts of the digital environment because your role grants only limited edit or view rights. Strong authentication focuses on verifying digital identities as reliably as possible, while authorization determines what someone can do and is allowed to do within the secured environment.
Strong Authentication and the Human Factor
Strong authentication significantly reduces the risk of breaches in your systems. However, effective use of strong authentication is directly tied to the reliability of the identification factors involved. The human factor therefore still plays an important role. Organizations with lax phishing awareness or password policies undermine a critical pillar of the approach and reduce its effectiveness.