Authentication (AQA GCSE Computer Science): Flashcards
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12 cards from this deck
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Practise the cards
12 cards from this deck
Authentication
Authentication
Process of proving who you are to a computer system
Three main methods of authentication
Three main methods of authentication
Passwords, electronic devices, biometrics
How username & password authentication works
How username & password authentication works
Enter username & password, system checks if they match stored user
Main weakness of password authentication
Main weakness of password authentication
Passwords can be forgotten, stolen, or guessed
Examples of electronic key authentication
Examples of electronic key authentication
Smart card, USB key, mobile phone, text code, email
Biometrics in authentication
Biometrics in authentication
Uses measurements of unique physical characteristics
Examples of biometric authentication
Examples of biometric authentication
Fingerprint, voice recognition, facial recognition, eye scans
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication
Combines two different authentication methods for better security
Why two-factor authentication is more secure
Why two-factor authentication is more secure
Attacker needs to compromise two security factors, not just one
Why passwords shouldn't be stored as plain text
Why passwords shouldn't be stored as plain text
If database is hacked, everyone's passwords would be exposed
Hashing in password security
Hashing in password security
Converts password into a long number that can't be reversed
Key property of password hashing
Key property of password hashing
One-way process - can't work backwards from hash to password