When something is authentic, that means the claims made about it (or by it) are true. To authenticate something or someone means to gather evidence sufficient for you to believe that it is as claimed.
For example, I may be authenticated by seeing and talking to me (if you know me), or by my DNA (if there is some reason to require that level of certainty). A driver’s license will also work as authentication to prove I have sufficient privileges to drive or buy adult beverages.
In the case of ATMs and debit cards, you need to prove who you are by providing your card and a secret PIN (personal identification number). Similarly, when you log into most online services, you have a user name and a password. This is called two-factor authentication. That means you need two pieces to prove who you are.
Two factor authentication is supposed to be more secure than single factor (one bit of information). However, many of us use the same user name and password for many or all of our online sites. In this case, it is easy for others who know (or learn) your combination to access many of your services. Is this a risk you are comfortable taking?
Contrast that with people who use different names, passwords, birthdates, and other data on each site. These people may have a hard time remembering all of the different data that they’ve provided, so it might be hard for them to prove that they are who they say they are. Has this ever happened to you?
Coaching moment: There are tools being developed to help you maintain and control your passwords. You might be interested in checking out Vidoop or Sxipper for two browser-based approaches. In a future post we’ll also look at OpenID as a different approach to authenticating yourself.