Many enterprises and IT departments feel the demand to strengthen the security surrounding their critical corporate assets and data. Data breaches now cost surveyed firms $4.24 million per event on average, the highest cost in the report’s 17-year history, according to a worldwide analysis from 2021.
Fallible manual processes are no longer sufficient for data protection and user privilege management. You’ll need to establish strong identity-proofing measures since data breaches, identity theft, and fraud are major dangers.
Any procedure through which an application verifies the genuineness of a user’s identification is known as authentication. Applications authenticate users by employing a broad range of protocols, including signature matching, RFID tagging, fingerprint scanning, and more, in addition to traditional passwords and single sign-on options. Your application needs authentication since you must identify users to safeguard your data and grant users access. This may be as simple as user profile information, the information in the database they are accessing to read or change, or even the backend architecture you employ to manage your services.
Here is a complete guide to identity authentication to help you understand it better.
What is Identity Authentication?
A person’s identity is verified to see if they are who they claim to be. Additional information that that particular individual can only produce is crucial for authentication.
Authenticating services increase the identification data required to generate a successful match by adding a layer of identity data. Authentication further lowers the possibility of fraud and raises the confidence needed to securely conduct business with that specific person.
Originally, Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA), which makes use of questions that (ostensibly) only that person knows, was used to verify this level of identification data. Examples of frequent KBA inquiries include the mother’s maiden name and the first pet’s name. Another method of authentication is provided through biometrics. Biometrics gives identifying information about something you are by using the individuality of human traits like a fingerprint, retina, face, or voice.
It is possibly hackable since KBA information is gathered on databases to find a match. Or another individual who has access to the KBA information can leak it through phishing or other means. As a result, biometrics could offer a greater security level than KBA. Biometrics is not flawless, and there may be security flaws and problems, as with any technology. Criminals have mastered the art of circumventing security measures such as facial recognition, voice recording, and fingerprint and fingerprint theft.
These security concerns would be valid if a single biometric served as the lone identification information point. It becomes part of the broader security system rather than a single point of failure when combined with many additional data points.
Types of ID verification
Individuals use the term “identification verification” for either electronic or documentary ID verification.
- Electronic ID verification usually entails a user entering their data into a form, often information like a name, date of birth, address, and some type of identification like a Social Security Number or passport number. This information is then verified against a centralized database of information to ensure authenticity.
- Documentary ID verification usually entails taking a photo of a government-issued document, such as a passport or driver’s license, and occasionally a selfie of your customer holding the relevant document to confirm that it is legitimate and not fake. These are the two primary forms of IDV, while there are further variations that we shall discuss later in this article.
Types of Authentication Factors SFA
A credential known as an authentication factor confirms, often in conjunction with other factors, that a party engaging in communication or seeking access to a system is indeed who or what they claim to be.
It takes every category into account. For instance, although there are two components, usernames and passwords are the same factors, making their combined usage single-factor authentication (SFA).
Authentication factors fall into three types. These are often divided into:
- Knowledge factors: Anything you know, such as a username and password, is a knowledge factor.
- Possession factors: Something you own, such as a security token or a smart card, counts as a possession element.
- Inherence factors: An intrinsic biometric attribute, such as a voice, fingerprint, or iris pattern, makes you who you are.
Benefits of Identity Authentication
It’s important to note that one of the main motivations for identity verification is not just to guard against and prevent fraudulent conduct. Other factors that need consideration include adherence to important regulatory organizations and the capacity of new clients to utilize digital services properly.
An influx of new tools and technology has made it a straightforward procedure. Also, you should start conducting water-tight identity verification for new consumers.
- Improved client experience
Since most businesses use digital workflows, there is less need for paperwork. Onboarding may be made simpler by the simplicity of use, especially in identity verification. By reducing obstacles in the application process and improving the relationship with your business, accelerate the customers’ access to your services.
- Deters fraud in all forms
Identity and access management services prevent fraud, which is the main advantage. This is crucial for businesses in the financial sector since it may stop evil plans like money laundering.
- Identity Management improves productivity.
Identity Management (IAM) streamlines access to all elements of the organization’s system and automates the entry of new employees. This makes it possible to shorten access delivery times so they may start producing immediately.
Because of this, utilizing technology’s benefits to meet the modern world’s needs also increases corporate agility. Its use results in better commercial success!
- It assures consumer identity.
MFA, or multi-factor authentication, is crucial for preventing identity theft and safeguarding customer data. Moreover, this method adds a security layer to the regular password and username login security. Cybercriminals will find it challenging to decipher as the TOTP is sent through an automated phone call or SMS. To access a resource, a customer requires two types of information, and identity Authentication increases a feeling of attentiveness due to MFA.
Conclusion
Identity authentication must be a key component of your company’s cybersecurity plan. It allows you to restrict and validate who has access to your critical resources at a time when data breaches are all too common, averting severe security breaches. You can build a strong IAM infrastructure to fend off attacks by following best practices and correct implementation.
