CyberSecurity Tip: The Three Factors of Protection
In today’s digital age, safeguarding our online identity is crucial as we increasingly encounter threats ranging from identity theft to sophisticated cyberattacks. Enhancing our online safety requires us to understand the three factors used to verify our identity — something you are, something you know, and something you have.
Something You Are: Biometrics. Biometric authentication refers to the use of unique physical characteristics to verify identity. Common biometric identifiers include:
- Fingerprints: Scanners embedded in smartphones and laptops are now standard, allowing for quick and secure access.
- Facial Recognition: Advanced cameras and software analyze facial features to grant or deny access.
- Iris Scans: Used in more secure environments, iris recognition is highly accurate and difficult to spoof.
Biometrics provide a robust layer of security because they are inherently unique to each individual. This method is gaining popularity as, unlike passwords or PINs which can be guessed or stolen, physical characteristics are much harder to replicate. However, the use of biometrics does raise privacy concerns, as the storage and management of such data need to be handled with the utmost…
