1 00:00:00,090 --> 00:00:03,180 In this lesson, we're going to cover authentication. 2 00:00:03,180 --> 00:00:05,640 Authentication in cybersecurity is a security measure 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:06,750 that ensures individuals 4 00:00:06,750 --> 00:00:08,610 or entities are who they claim to be 5 00:00:08,610 --> 00:00:11,040 during a communication or transaction. 6 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:13,050 Basically, authentication focuses 7 00:00:13,050 --> 00:00:15,180 on verifying the identity of individuals 8 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:18,870 or entities participating inside of a digital interaction. 9 00:00:18,870 --> 00:00:21,090 Now, let's pretend you just walked out to the mailbox 10 00:00:21,090 --> 00:00:23,010 and you received two different letters. 11 00:00:23,010 --> 00:00:25,380 One of those letters was sent from an anonymous sender 12 00:00:25,380 --> 00:00:27,060 and it claims that you owe $1,000 13 00:00:27,060 --> 00:00:29,340 for a new laptop that you don't remember buying. 14 00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:31,980 The other one is from your country's tax collection agency 15 00:00:31,980 --> 00:00:33,840 like the IRS here in the United States, 16 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:35,610 stating that you owe them $1,000 17 00:00:35,610 --> 00:00:38,040 in unpaid taxes for the last year. 18 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:39,810 Now, as you examine the IRS letter 19 00:00:39,810 --> 00:00:42,120 you see something on it like the official stamp, 20 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:43,380 your real social security number 21 00:00:43,380 --> 00:00:46,020 and other identifying information, as well as a field 22 00:00:46,020 --> 00:00:47,670 in the form letter that states how much 23 00:00:47,670 --> 00:00:50,130 and exactly when you paid your last tax bill. 24 00:00:50,130 --> 00:00:52,860 Now, which of these two letters are you going to trust more? 25 00:00:52,860 --> 00:00:54,300 Now, if you're like most people 26 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:55,380 you're simply going to throw away 27 00:00:55,380 --> 00:00:58,380 that anonymous letter for the $1,000 laptop bill. 28 00:00:58,380 --> 00:01:00,780 Instead, you're going to take that tax collection letter 29 00:01:00,780 --> 00:01:02,010 a lot more seriously 30 00:01:02,010 --> 00:01:04,769 because it passes your authentication test. 31 00:01:04,769 --> 00:01:06,270 Now, in today's digital environment, 32 00:01:06,270 --> 00:01:08,610 we don't just use images or seals to determine if somebody 33 00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:09,840 is who they say they are 34 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,180 because that can be easily spoofed online. 35 00:01:12,180 --> 00:01:15,000 But instead, we want to conduct identity verification 36 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,340 using various forms of authentication. 37 00:01:17,340 --> 00:01:18,300 These days we have 38 00:01:18,300 --> 00:01:20,520 five commonly used authentication methods. 39 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,560 We refer to these as something you know, 40 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,140 something you have, something you are, something you do, 41 00:01:25,140 --> 00:01:26,700 and somewhere you are. 42 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:28,920 Now, first you have something you know. 43 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,650 Something you know is also called a knowledge factor 44 00:01:31,650 --> 00:01:32,790 and it relies that information 45 00:01:32,790 --> 00:01:34,620 that you as a user can recall. 46 00:01:34,620 --> 00:01:36,210 Typically, this will be a secret word 47 00:01:36,210 --> 00:01:39,000 or phrase or a password known only to you. 48 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,400 The most common type of knowledge factor is a username 49 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,860 and password combination because it's something you remember 50 00:01:43,860 --> 00:01:44,940 and you're prompted to enter it 51 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:47,040 every time you log into a system. 52 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,260 Now, second, we have something you have. 53 00:01:49,260 --> 00:01:50,790 Something you have is also known 54 00:01:50,790 --> 00:01:53,040 as a possession factor, and this relies on the 55 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,190 user presenting a physical item to authenticate themselves. 56 00:01:56,190 --> 00:01:58,110 If you've ever worked in a large office building 57 00:01:58,110 --> 00:01:59,130 you may have been asked to present 58 00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:01,320 your employee identification badge to a security guard 59 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,080 for verification whenever you try to enter the building. 60 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:05,130 This is a good example 61 00:02:05,130 --> 00:02:07,710 of something you have or a possession factor. 62 00:02:07,710 --> 00:02:09,600 Another good example of this is when a website 63 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,520 sends you a one-time text message code 64 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:12,810 over to your smartphone 65 00:02:12,810 --> 00:02:14,940 that you're going to type in during the login process, 66 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:17,220 because in theory only you have possession 67 00:02:17,220 --> 00:02:18,270 of your smartphone, 68 00:02:18,270 --> 00:02:21,240 so your smartphone acts as the possession factor. 69 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,220 Third, we have something you are. 70 00:02:23,220 --> 00:02:24,630 Now something you are is also known 71 00:02:24,630 --> 00:02:26,040 as an inherence factor. 72 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,260 This relies on the user providing a unique physical 73 00:02:28,260 --> 00:02:29,730 or behavioral characteristic 74 00:02:29,730 --> 00:02:32,850 of the person to validate they are who they claim to be. 75 00:02:32,850 --> 00:02:34,140 Often you'll hear this referred 76 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:36,150 to as biometric authentication. 77 00:02:36,150 --> 00:02:38,970 For example, I use facial recognition every day 78 00:02:38,970 --> 00:02:41,040 to unlock my iPhone when I want to use it 79 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,280 or I use my index finger to unlock my MacBook Pro 80 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:45,720 using the embedded fingerprint reader 81 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,470 on my laptop instead of typing in a username and password. 82 00:02:49,470 --> 00:02:51,630 Fourth, we have something you do. 83 00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:53,160 Now, something you do is also known 84 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,530 as an action factor, and it relies on the user 85 00:02:55,530 --> 00:02:58,200 conducting a unique action to prove who they are. 86 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,180 For example, when I was a kid, my friends 87 00:03:00,180 --> 00:03:02,610 and I had a secret handshake that we could use to verify 88 00:03:02,610 --> 00:03:04,380 that we were part of Jason's clubhouse 89 00:03:04,380 --> 00:03:05,550 and we were the ones who were allowed 90 00:03:05,550 --> 00:03:07,170 to use our club's treehouse. 91 00:03:07,170 --> 00:03:08,310 Similarly, I've worked 92 00:03:08,310 --> 00:03:10,200 in organizations that use handwriting samples 93 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,330 or an analysis of how you're walking to determine 94 00:03:12,330 --> 00:03:14,970 if you're authorized to perform a certain action. 95 00:03:14,970 --> 00:03:17,070 Fifth, we have somewhere you are. 96 00:03:17,070 --> 00:03:20,100 Somewhere you are also known as the location factor relies 97 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:22,500 on the user being in a certain geographic location 98 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:24,840 before they're granted access to a system. 99 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,640 For example, when my kids were younger 100 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,050 we used to have geofencing set 101 00:03:28,050 --> 00:03:29,580 up on their phones to provide them 102 00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:32,310 with a way to unlock our front door using their smartphones 103 00:03:32,310 --> 00:03:34,230 but it would only work if they were 104 00:03:34,230 --> 00:03:35,760 within 20 feet of our house 105 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,010 because we didn't want them inadvertently unlocking the door 106 00:03:38,010 --> 00:03:39,270 if they were sitting a few miles away 107 00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:40,500 at their friend's house. 108 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:43,260 Similarly, many companies use location-based factors 109 00:03:43,260 --> 00:03:46,260 to allow or deny access to their critical applications. 110 00:03:46,260 --> 00:03:48,240 I worked at one organization that would only 111 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:49,500 allow me to use certain functions 112 00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:52,170 on my smartphone if I was inside the United States, 113 00:03:52,170 --> 00:03:53,670 but as soon as I left the United States, 114 00:03:53,670 --> 00:03:55,380 a lot of those functions would be blocked 115 00:03:55,380 --> 00:03:58,230 to protect the security of the data on my device. 116 00:03:58,230 --> 00:04:01,020 Now, each of these five factors can be used by themself 117 00:04:01,020 --> 00:04:02,490 but you can also combine two 118 00:04:02,490 --> 00:04:04,470 or more of them together to create what's known 119 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:06,900 as a multi-factor authentication system. 120 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:08,070 If you have two of these 121 00:04:08,070 --> 00:04:11,520 we call this 2FA or two factor authentication. 122 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,410 If you have two or more of these 123 00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:17,310 we can also call this MFA or multi-factor authentication. 124 00:04:17,310 --> 00:04:20,250 Now, MFA or a multi-factor authentication system 125 00:04:20,250 --> 00:04:22,110 is a security process that requires users 126 00:04:22,110 --> 00:04:23,280 to provide multiple methods 127 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:26,070 of identification to verify their identity. 128 00:04:26,070 --> 00:04:27,480 This approach ensures that even 129 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,060 if one factor is compromised, like a stolen username 130 00:04:30,060 --> 00:04:33,240 or password, that the attacker can still not gain access 131 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,270 because they need a second factor, such as a hardware token, 132 00:04:36,270 --> 00:04:38,820 a one-time text message code, a fingerprint, 133 00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:41,880 a facial recognition scan, or something else like that. 134 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,010 Now, authentication is critical to understand 135 00:04:44,010 --> 00:04:45,810 because it's going to be used to prevent unauthorized 136 00:04:45,810 --> 00:04:48,450 access to provide user data and privacy, 137 00:04:48,450 --> 00:04:50,370 and to ensure the resources are being accessed 138 00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:52,110 by valid users only. 139 00:04:52,110 --> 00:04:54,600 First, we need to talk about authentication being used 140 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,490 to prevent unauthorized access. 141 00:04:56,490 --> 00:04:58,890 Given the increasing number of digital threats out there 142 00:04:58,890 --> 00:05:01,170 it is truly imperative that we ensure that only 143 00:05:01,170 --> 00:05:02,940 authorized individuals are accessing 144 00:05:02,940 --> 00:05:05,340 our organization system and data. 145 00:05:05,340 --> 00:05:07,020 By creating a solid authentication model 146 00:05:07,020 --> 00:05:09,810 within your organization, your systems can effectively keep 147 00:05:09,810 --> 00:05:13,230 out impersonators or malicious actors out of your network. 148 00:05:13,230 --> 00:05:15,030 Just consider your online bank account. 149 00:05:15,030 --> 00:05:17,250 If it didn't have stringent authentication standards 150 00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:18,750 then anybody could log into your account 151 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:20,010 and steal your money. 152 00:05:20,010 --> 00:05:22,500 But by using the proper authentication mechanisms 153 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:25,050 we can greatly reduce the risk of this occurring. 154 00:05:25,050 --> 00:05:28,020 Second, we use authentication to protect our user data 155 00:05:28,020 --> 00:05:29,130 and privacy. 156 00:05:29,130 --> 00:05:32,070 By verifying users identities before granting them access, 157 00:05:32,070 --> 00:05:33,720 platforms and other websites can ensure 158 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,330 that personal and sensitive data is only being shown 159 00:05:36,330 --> 00:05:38,940 to the rightful owners or authorized individuals. 160 00:05:38,940 --> 00:05:41,370 For example, your health and medical records are usually 161 00:05:41,370 --> 00:05:43,620 encrypted and stored within a patient portal 162 00:05:43,620 --> 00:05:45,630 and you want to ensure that only you and your doctors 163 00:05:45,630 --> 00:05:47,730 can access that and view your health information 164 00:05:47,730 --> 00:05:50,100 within that system to protect your privacy. 165 00:05:50,100 --> 00:05:52,680 Third, and finally, we have the use of authentication 166 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,510 to ensure resource validity. 167 00:05:54,510 --> 00:05:57,270 Now, in the digital realm where resources like cloud storage 168 00:05:57,270 --> 00:05:59,940 and network bandwidth are considered to be shared resources 169 00:05:59,940 --> 00:06:01,920 it becomes truly essential to ensure that only 170 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,700 valid, authenticated users can consume those resources. 171 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:08,190 So remember, when it comes to authentication 172 00:06:08,190 --> 00:06:10,230 it really is a means to verify the identity 173 00:06:10,230 --> 00:06:13,410 of users or entities inside of your digital interactions. 174 00:06:13,410 --> 00:06:14,400 There are many different tools 175 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,560 and factors that we can use to achieve robust levels 176 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,870 of authentication, including knowledge factors, 177 00:06:18,870 --> 00:06:22,020 possession factors, inherent factors, action factors 178 00:06:22,020 --> 00:06:23,520 and location factors. 179 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,500 But at its core authentication ensures 180 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:27,480 that individuals are who they claim to be 181 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:28,410 and grants some access 182 00:06:28,410 --> 00:06:30,720 and privileges that they're going to be entitled to. 183 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,040 In a digital world where identity 184 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,900 and access management are paramount 185 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:35,220 authentication is standing there 186 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:38,130 as a security guard to ensure the security, privacy 187 00:06:38,130 --> 00:06:39,690 and proper access of your data 188 00:06:39,690 --> 00:06:42,843 and resources is being achieved across the organization.