Being small doesn’t make you invisible. Twenty-eight percent of data breaches in 2020 involved small businesses. Small businesses have more data than individuals but weaker security than big companies. So they are hackers’ new favorite. Being a small business owner, you should ensure that only the authorized people are accessing your business’s resources. That being said, you should deploy a reliable authentication method to eliminate the chances of any unauthorized access.

What Is an Online Authentication Process?

Authentication is the process that confirms the identity of users/machines that are trying to access resources (systems, networks, or devices). Authentication confirms the identity of a person/machine. And authorization verifies that the person/ machine has the right/permission to access the resource in question. So you can see that authentication happens first, then comes authorization.

Online Authentication

Types of Online Authentication Methods

Small businesses have multiple types of authentication methods at their disposal to keep their data safe. Here are some common authentication methods:

  1. Passwords and Security Questions – Many businesses use passwords and security questions to secure access. But passwords and security questions don’t offer optimum security.
  2. Out of Band Voice – In this authentication method, users will receive a call on his registered mobile number to get verified. This method is more secure than a password, but users need to carry a second device to get their identity verified.
  3. Time-based One-time Passwords – In this method, users receive a one-time pass key through SMS or email. As the pass key expires after a short period of time, this method offers fair security.
  4. Biometric Authentication – The biometric authentication method leverages users’ unique biological characteristics to verify their identity (facial recognition, fingerprint scanners voice identification).
  5. Multi-factor Authentication – As the name suggests, the multi-factor authentication method (MFA) employs two or more independent ways to verify users’ identity. For example, users may need to submit passwords and one-time codes to get them identified.
  6. Certificate-based Authentication – In this authentication method, a digital certificate is employed to verify a user, machine, or device.

Small Business Trends published this information as well as a comprehensive infographic produced by Beyond Identity with the help of NowSourcing.