Dictionary of Information Security

authenticator means used to confirm the identity or to

verify the eligibility of a station, originator, or indi-

vidual.The standard authenticators are something

you have, something you are, or something you

know. A common mistake is to use, as an authenti-

cator, an entity or characteristic that is more suitable

for use as an identifier. As an example, in the United

States a Social Security number (SSN) is unique to

an individual, and therefore suitable for identifica-

tion, but the wide use and availability of this infor-

mation (despite regulations to the contrary) mean

that the SSN is not appropriate as authentication.

(The reverse error is also made: face recognition is

effective as an authenticator under the right condi-

tions, but has spectacularly ...