authentication

Definition

The security process of proving you are who you claim to be, typically through passwords, biometrics, or sacrificing your firstborn to the security gods. It's the digital handshake that happens before a system trusts you enough to let you in, usually involving at least three wrong password attempts. Not to be confused with authorization, which is what happens after authentication and determines what you're actually allowed to do.

Example Usage

Our multi-factor authentication is so secure that even legitimate users can't get through it half the time.

Source: Cybersecurity terminology

Related Terms

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compilation

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gaussian

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cyber athlete

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