The many ways of proving who you are

There are three broad categories for how a user can prove their identity. These are knowledge, possession, and inheritance. Another popular way of saying this is something you know, something you have, and something you are. Something you know would be a password or pass phrase. Something you have could be a token or a smart card. And something you are includes fingerprints or retinal scans. Within each category there are a myriad of technologies and options. Below is a listing of some of the more popular ones for each category.

Knowledge

• Password
• Passphrase
• PIN
• Pattern

Possession

• Token
• Smart card
• Cryptographic key
• Memory card

Inheritance

• Fingerprint
• Hand geometry/topography
• Retina scan
• Iris scan
• Signature dynamics
• Keystroke dynamics