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They: Authenticate yourself! — You: But how?
Every time you log in to an account, you must first prove that you are who you say you are. It’s like entering a military base: no pass, no entry. But that’s what authentication is essentially about — verifying a user’s identity so that no unauthorized parties can get on the inside.
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Depending on the platform, the methods used for authentication vary in complexity. Sometimes, a single password is enough to gain access. Other times, you must provide additional codes, click a link sent to you via email, or stare at your device’s camera so it can scan your face.
With so many methods of authentication available, we aim to help you navigate this landscape and understand why it's important to authenticate and how to do so safely and conveniently. Let's start with the “why.”
Why is user authentication important?
Authentication serves as the gatekeeper to your online accounts and services. Its primary role is to ensure that only you—and authorized individuals—can access your medical data, financial records, personal messages, and other sensitive information.
Moreover, authentication helps prevent attempts to misuse your accounts for fraudulent transactions or nefarious activities under false identities. It provides a protective barrier against aggressive threats like data breaches or malware-infested devices. In other words, it ensures that you have control of your accounts and that no deceitful actions can be taken in your name.
You’re probably more likely to engage with online services, share personal information, and conduct transactions when you know there are reliable user authentication methods in place. In a way, it builds a foundation of trust between you—the user—and your chosen service provider.
As an employee, you may find it a necessity—companies tend to enforce authentication to ensure compliance and keep sensitive data safe. Advanced authentication methods are used to protect employee access to internal systems, work-related individual and shared accounts, and applications used for testing and development.
Types of authentication factors
You’ll often hear authentication methods referred to as two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication. But what is this “factor” in question? Essentially, it’s the step you take to verify that you’re the person attempting to access an account or other sensitive resources protected by the user authentication system.
For instance, a password can be described as single-factor authentication. You only need this one step—entering the correct password—to authenticate that it’s you trying to log in. If your password is breached, single-factor authentication can’t sufficiently protect your data. Hence, it’s recommended to employ multiple authentication factors.
The type of factor you can use to authenticate your account may vary depending on the service in use. However, the 3 most common types are knowledge, possession, and inherence factors:
Knowledge factor is the proof of what you know. It typically involves a password, passphrase, or a PIN code that a user must input to prove their identity.
Possession factor is the proof of what you own. A possession factor can involve hardware, like security key or a token that generates one-time passwords, or software, like an authentication app.
Inherence factor is the proof of what you are. Think biometrics—using a fingerprint or face ID, retina scans, or voice recognition to prove your identity.
Types of authentication methods
Among the array of user authentication methods available today, six stand out as the most popular and crucial for cybersecurity. These include:
Token authentication
This form of authentication involves the use of a physical device, such as a USB token or smart card, to generate a one-time password or cryptographic key for accessing systems or services. The token authentication method provides an additional layer of security as the token must be in your possession.
Password authentication
Passwords are the most widely used method for user authentication, requiring individuals to provide unique combinations of characters to access their accounts or systems. Strong passwords should be complex and unique, incorporating a mix of letters, symbols, and numbers arranged randomly to thwart cybercriminals' attempts at guessing them.
Biometric authentication
Biometric authentication utilizes unique physical or behavioral characteristics of individuals to verify their identity. Biometric authentication offers a high level of security as it is difficult to replicate or fake these biological traits.
The most common means of biometric authentication include:
Facial recognition includes scanning a person's entire face. It’s typically used for ID verification or visa applications.
Fingerprint recognition includes scanning a person’s fingerprint. It’s often used as an authentication method to unlock a device. Fingerprints can also be used as a biometric signature for digital documents.
Voice recognition involves speaking into a device to prove one’s identity. Compared to other biometric methods, it’s less reliable due to the ability to spoof voices using modulators, as well as due to biological changes that can impact a person’s pitch and tone.
Ocular-based recognition involves either retinal or iris scans. They’re highly reliable due to the unique structure of the eye. Retinal scan reliability can be impacted by ocular diseases; they’re also more complex and invasive than iris scans.
Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is perhaps one of the best-known authentication technologies. It combines two or more authentication factors, such as something you know (password), something you have (token), or something you are (biometric), to verify a user's identity. By requiring users to provide multiple identity proofs, MFA adds an extra layer of security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access — even if one factor is compromised.
A common implementation of MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires users to provide two different types of authentication factors before accessing their accounts
Certificate-based authentication
This method involves the use of digital certificates issued by a trusted authority to verify the identity of users or devices. The certificates are used in combination with public-key cryptography to authenticate users and encrypt data during transmission, ensuring secure communication between parties.
Passkey authentication
Passkeys are a new form of authentication where users are granted access without providing their password. Passkey technology combines biometric verification with cryptographic keys for a safer and easier way to log in. Each user has a unique pair of keys: a public one stored on the server and a private one on their device. When logging in, the server asks for the private key, which the device provides. If they match, you’re granted access.
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Which authentication method is the safest one?
Naming just one of the secure authentication methods described above as the safest is not easy, especially since each method has its own strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation. For instance, while biometric authentication methods are highly effective, they are not immune to theft. So, if a cybercriminal gains access to someone’s fingerprint, that authentication method becomes compromised. After all, unlike a password, you cannot change your fingerprint.
So, if we were pushed to choose just one, we would say that passkeys are the safest authentication method because they help eliminate the risk of phishing, cannot be easily stolen or guessed (unlike weak passwords), and utilize strong cryptographic techniques to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of user credentials. Passkeys also avoid the pitfalls of traditional methods as they do not rely on something you need to remember, like a password, or something that can be physically stolen, like a security token.
In reality, however, the best approach is to use a combination of different methods tailored to the specific situation and required level of security. The best part is that you only need one tool to make this possible.
You don’t have to settle for just one authentication method
If you use NordPass, an advanced yet intuitive password manager designed by the team behind NordVPN, you gain immediate access to many of the best authentication methods available, allowing you to mix and match them for optimal security. How so?
NordPass generates strong passwords on the spot and stores them safely in an encrypted vault that only you can access. It supports the implementation of multi-factor authentication using NordPass’ built-in Authenticator to provide TOTP codes, making it easy for IT managers to implement a higher security standard within an organization.
Additionally, NordPass supports passkey technology, empowering you to effectively protect your accounts without passwords and access them instantly through methods such as biometric authentication.
With NordPass, authentication management becomes seamless and secure—get a free 14-day trial and see for yourself.