Authentication Factor

Authentication Factors

Attributes or Credential that are used in support of Authentication of a user's Identifier.

Context

Taxonomy

Applicable only in this wiki page:

• Authentication = the establishment of a link between some real-world entity (person or machine) and a digital identity.
• Machine = any device that can attach to an Internet address.
• Digital Identity = a User Object or a list of attribute attributed to you in an on-line database.
• Digital Identifier = a collection of symbols that is used to find your digital identify in a data base
• Passwordless = any online identification that does not include something you know.

Problems

1. Authenticating yourself to a device in hand
2. Authenticating yourself to a web site over the internet
3. Authentication yourself to a physical access device

Something you Know

• This is the oldest factor for creating a digital Identity.

Something you Have

Note that this case includes something called cross-device authentication which is logically indistinguishable from this case.

• Usually a digital artifact that is able to create a one-time access code (aka a one-tine password)

Attacks

• Attacker takes the device away from you
• Attacker has a device that can spoof a Relying Party into thinking it iw working on your behalf.