Multi-factor authentication

Abstract: Because biometrics-based authentication offers several advantages over other authentication methods, there has been a significant surge in the use of biometrics for user authentication in recent years. It is important that such biometrics-based authentication systems be designed to withstand attacks when employed in security-critical applications, especially in unattended remote applications such as e-commerce. In this paper we outline the inherent strengths of biometrics-based authentication, identify the weak links in systems employing biometrics-based authentication, and present new solutions for eliminating some of these weak links. Although, for illustration purposes, fingerprint authentication is used throughout, our analysis extends to other biometrics-based methods.

Abstract: When using authentication based on cryptography, an attacker listening to the network gains no information that would enable it to falsely claim another's identity. Kerberos is the most commonly used example of this type of authentication technology. The authors concentrate on authentication for real-time, interactive services that are offered on computer networks. They use the term real-time loosely to mean that a client process is waiting for a response to a query or command so that it can display the results to the user, or otherwise continue performing its intended function. This class of services includes remote login, file system reads and writes, and information retrieval for applications like Mosaic. >

Abstract: Access control constrains what a user can do directly, as well as what programs executing on behalf of the users are allowed to do. In this way access control seeks to prevent activity that could lead to a breach of security. This article explains access control and its relationship to other security services such as authentication, auditing, and administration. It then reviews the access matrix model and describes different approaches to implementing the access matrix in practical systems, and follows with a discussion of access control policies commonly found in current systems, and a brief consideration of access control administration. >

Abstract: "HTTP/1.0", includes the specification for a Basic Access Authentication scheme. This scheme is not considered to be a secure method of user authentication (unless used in conjunction with some external secure system such as SSL [5]), as the user name and password are passed over the network as cleartext.