


The different factors generally fall into one of the categories above: something you know, something you have, or something you are. Single-factor authentication is the process of verifying an identity using only one factor. There are several different types of authentication, but for brevity, we'll go through what happens in two scenarios: single-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication. Something you are - This category involves verifying through biometric methods, such as a fingerprint or retinal scan. Something you have - This covers physical things that you possess, such as a smartphone, key, etc. It is the most common identification method. Something you know - Usually something like a username and password or PIN. Each identifier generally falls in one of these three categories: Day in the Life of an Authentication ServerĪuthentication, in short, is the process of identifying a person or computer to make sure they are who they say they are.Īn application or device may ask for several different identifiers to verify this. To better understand what an authentication server is, let's look at what it does by taking a peek into what happens when an authentication request is made. An authentication server is used to verify credentials when a person or another server needs to prove who they are to an application.
