es and prevent prompt transmission of message (FRATO 15). User authentication is an important part of any Internet security system. Authentication assures that a party in an Internet transaction is the person whom they say they are. Authentication methods can be classified into the following categories: What you know. The combination of a user identifier and password is the oldest and most common authentication method. However, it is also the easiest to break. The use of one-time passwords that are created in advance is one advantage that makes user authentication more secure. What you are. A type of authentication in this category uses biometrics systems to identify a user based on physical attributes, such as fingerprints or retinal scans. Some systems on the market look at physical attributes of the user’s computer to verify identify. This type of authentication is at present less commonly used than other methods. What you have. This form of authentication is based on some device in the possession of the user, such as smart cards or disks, which contain miniature center procession unit (CPU). Such devices communicate with the computer electronically to exchange information similar to a password or may be programmed to release a time-based authentication password (FRATO 16). Regardless of the care with which an encryption scheme is designed, there always remains the possibility of passwords or authentication devices being stolen and used in digital identify fraud. A potentially more reliable method of establishing the identities of parties on the Internet through digital signatures is the use of certificates. A certificate is a digital document with identification information and a public key. A standard format known as X.509 is usually used (FRATO 15). The use of a certificate requires issuing the document to an individual, much like a driver’s license or social security number is issued. The issuing o...
