What’s the Best Authentication Method?

We can’t deny the fact that having a smartphone is convenient but if you leave your device open for everyone to access, you are putting yourself at risk. Security should always be a priority for all our devices because they are a gold mine for personal data, especially with the use of apps and emails. The good thing is more and more companies are becoming aware of the cyber crimes committed through accessing emails and applications and they are doing their own step to protect their users. But which ones can really protect you?  

What is authentication?

Let’s talk about authentication first. Authentication is used to ensure that you are really the person you claim to be. A powerful combo of username and password should create a system that identifies and verifies your identity.

Verifying a user, system, or device's identity in order to access a certain resource or service is known as authentication. It entails ensuring that the entity trying to access the resource is legitimate by verifying the credentials it provides, such as a username and password combination or a digital certificate. 

A crucial security component is an authentication since it helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems. Authentication ensures that only authorized users are given access to resources and helps safeguard against data breaches and other security concerns by confirming the identity of the entity making the attempt to access a resource.

Email Authentication

Social networks and other websites use this system to verify the user’s identity before they let someone in. But we know that a few clicks can create an email address in seconds which can be used to disguise as someone else using a fake account. An email authentication may not be as effective in securing your identity as anyone can create multiple email accounts.

The email authentication process is used to ensure that the person or company that claimed to have sent an email actually did. The sender's identity is verified in order to do this, and several methods are used to ensure that the message was not altered or tampered with during transmission. 

It's crucial to authenticate emails for a number of reasons. The first benefit is that it aids in the prevention of email fraud, such as phishing and spoofing, in which attackers try to fool recipients into divulging critical information or clicking on harmful links by seeming to be a trustworthy sender. Second, it lessens the possibility that emails may be marked as spam or rejected by email servers, increasing email deliverability. Check this blog about google reading your emails.

There are several methods of email authentication, including:

Sender Policy Framework (SPF): A protocol that verifies that the sending mail server is authorized to send an email on behalf of a specific domain.

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM): A method of adding a digital signature to email messages to verify that they were sent by an authorized sender and have not been altered in transit.

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC): A protocol that provides a way for email receivers to verify that the sender has taken steps to protect their email messages from being spoofed or used for phishing attacks.

Password Authentication

Password authentication on the other hand is relatively more effective than the first since it is under the assumption that the user knows her/his username and password when she created it. But we’re also guilty of using the same passwords to most of our accounts to remember them easily. And it’s prone to be stolen via phishing. So it is advised that we change passwords regularly and make them stronger with a combo of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Social Network Authentication

Different applications and websites use this system for singing in. This can be a little more secure because social networks also require email and password combo. So it will take a little more effort to create another fake account on social media on top of knowing the username and password of a certain system.

Biometrics

This system is heavily dependent on physical characteristics that can be detected by the system such as fingerprinting, retina scanning, and face recognition. Although this is definitely more effective than passwords because you can’t just steal fingerprints or retinas, biometrics is a really costly investment.

Two-Step Authentication

This method is proven more effective, addressing the gaps in password or email authentication. Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires that two factors are involved in authenticating identity. In this case, even though the hackers can get ahold of the first factor such as your bank details, they still cannot commit fraud if the system requires them to authenticate your identity by sending a code to your phone.

Although 2FA proves to be the most reliable authentication method without costing an arm and a leg like biometrics, it is still not 100% foolproof. An authentication system is proven to be more effective if it is harder to bypass and cost-effective. And so far, 2FA fits these criteria.

To add another layer of protection to your device, make sure that you browse securely online through a reliable VPN service.

Conclusion

In conclusion, owning a smartphone is indeed convenient, but if security is not addressed, it comes at a cost of putting personal data in danger. In order to prevent unwanted access to sensitive data or systems, authentication is essential. A variety of authentication techniques are available, including email authentication, password authentication, social network authentication, biometric authentication, and two-step authentication. Although each approach has advantages and disadvantages, two-step authentication is presently the most dependable and economical choice. It is crucial to be alert and take proactive steps as technology develops in order to protect personal information and provide secure access to digital resources. Your internet surfing might benefit from additional security if you use a trustworthy VPN provider.

Check these blogs to learn more about privacy:

- How A VPN Helps With Your Privacy

- A VPN Will Help Your Personal Data To Remain Personal

- The Definitive Guide to Privacy Online