Computer Network Security: Topic: User Authentication
Computer Network Security: Topic: User Authentication
Computer Network Security: Topic: User Authentication
Topic:
User Authentication
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CONTENT
• User Authentication
• Means of user Authentication
• Password Authentication
• Password vulnerabilities
• Using better passwords
• Token authentication
• Biometric authentication
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User Authentication
• User Authentication means that system accurately determines
user’s identity
• Examples
• files readable only by their owner
• only certain users should be able to add or delete system
accounts.
• User authentication process consist of two steps:
• 1. Identification
• 2. verification
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Means of User Authentication
• Following are the general means of user authentication
1. Password Authentication
2. Token Authentication
3. Biometric Authentication
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Password Authentication
• Widely used authentication method
- User provides name/login and password.
-System compares password with that saved for specified login.
• Authenticate ID of user logging and
- That the user is authoriz4ed to access system
- Determines the user’s privileges
-Is used in Dictionary Access Control.
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Password Vulnerabilities
Following are the attack strategies:
1. Offline dictionary attack:
A hacker gain access to the system password file.
Compares the password hashes against hashes of commonly used
password.
2. Specified account attack:
Attack target a specified account and submits password guesses until
the correct password is discovered.
3. Popular password attack/A single user:
The attacker attempts to gain knowledge about the account holder and
system password policies and uses that knowledge to guess the
password.
4. Workstation hijacking: 6
The attacker waits until a logged-in workstation is unattended.
5. Exploiting user mistake:
User is more likely to write it down password, because it is
difficult to remember.
6. Exploiting multiple password use:
Similar password for a many application.
7. Electronic monitoring:
If a password is communicated across a network to log on to a
remote system., it is vulnerable to eavesdropping.
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Using better passwords
• Clearly have problems with passwords.
• Goal to eliminate guessable passwords.
• At the same time, easy for user to remember.
• Four basic techniques:
1.user education:
2.computer-generated passwords
3. reactive passwords checking
4.proactive password checking
1.User education:
provide users with guideline for selecting strong password.
Users can be told the importance of using hard-to-guess 8
password.
2. Computer generated password:
Poor acceptance by users.
Random in nature, users will not remember.
3. Reactive password checking:
System periodically runs its own password cracker to find
guessable password.
4. Proactive password checking:
User selects own password which the system then checks to see
if it is allowable and if not rejects it.
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Token Authentication
• Objects that a user posseses for the purpose of user
authentication are called token.
1. Embossed: Raised character only, on front, e.g, Old credit
card.
2. Magnetic strip: Magnetic bar on back, characters on front,
e.g, Bank card.
3. Memory: Has electronic memory inside, e.g, Prepaid phone
card.
4. Smartcard: Has electronic memory and processor inside,
e.g, Biometric ID Card.
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Biometric Authentication:
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Thank you
Any Question?
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