Authentication, Identity Verification, and Identification: What's the Difference
Tags: authentication, authorization, digitalidentity, ciam
Published: 2022-09-18 04:15:41

---
title: Authentication, Identity Verification, and Identification: What's the Difference
published: true
date: 2022-08-18 16:53:40 UTC
tags: authentication,authorization,digitalidentity,CIAM
canonical_url: https://guptadeepak.com/authentication-identity-verification-and-identification-whats-the-difference/
---

> People usually consider authentication, id verification, and identification the same thing, but they are entirely different when we see stuff through the lens of information security experts. Learn the fundamental differences between the three and the importance of each from an information security perspective.

## Introduction
 ![Authentication, Identity Verification, and Identification: What's the Difference](https://guptadeepak.com/content/images/2022/08/auth-identity.jpeg)

In a technologically-driven modern world, we have to prove our identities by authenticating ourselves several times a day to get secure access to devices, networks, and platforms.

However, when we talk about authentication, id verification, and identification, things seem to revolve around just verifying a profile/person, but it’s not the case.

People usually consider all three the same thing, but things are entirely different when we see stuff through the lens of information security experts.

Let’s uncover the fundamental differences between the three terms and understand the importance of each term.

## **What is Authentication?**

[Authentication](https://www.loginradius.com/blog/identity/what-is-login-authentication/) can be defined as proving the identity of a user accessing a computer system or a network.

Authentication helps verify the identity of a person they claim to be. Once the identity is confirmed, access to a particular account, resource, or computer system is granted.

In a nutshell, authentication uniquely identifies an individual via a set of credentials. In the digital world, authentication verifies a person's identity or an electronic device.

Authentication becomes necessary because it increases the security of consumers' data. No one can enter the website and access your data without verifying or authenticating oneself.

The most famous example of authentication is entering into a system using login credentials.

With the massive increase in digital platforms, the demand for various authentication processes has increased for both online and physical systems.

## **What is Identity Verification?**

[Identity verification](https://www.loginradius.com/blog/identity/what-is-identity-verification/) can be defined as ensuring that users provide correct information associated with the identity of a natural person they claim to be.

Identity verification ensures that no unauthorized person is carrying out a process by using false identities or hijacking their identities on any other's behalf.

Verifying identities is a crucial security measure that mitigates the risks of fraud and identity thefts. It also helps carry out KYC (know your customers) processes for secure account management.

On the other hand, digital identity verification is the process of verifying the identity of an individual by using computer technology. Digital identity document verification can help businesses and governments verify users' identities online.

## **What is Identification?**

Identification refers to identifying a person through [identity proof](https://www.loginradius.com/blog/identity/identity-proofing/) to ensure no unauthorized person accesses sensitive information.

Businesses must ensure that they have robust mechanisms to identify their users and customers so that no fraudster could impersonate a user and access critical information.

Moreover, identity theft is swiftly becoming the new way of exploiting customer information, which can also cause financial losses to businesses.

Adding stringent security layers in the form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and risk-based authentication (RBA) could significantly decrease the chances of identity theft.

## **What is the Purpose of Identity Security?**

Identity security is a comprehensive way to secure digital identities within a network in the most basic sense.

Any identity- whether a team member, third-party vendor, consumer, or IT admin can be privileged in specific ways that can lead to a security breach causing losses worth millions of dollars for an organization.

Adding multiple layers of security through robust [authentication and authorization](https://www.loginradius.com/blog/identity/authentication-vs-authorization-infographic/) can help mitigate identity theft risk.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 encouraged remote working ecosystems that aren’t as secure as traditional working environments, there’s an immediate need for an identity security solution for businesses adopting these remote working scenarios.

## **Why Do You Need Identity Security?**

In the past couple of years, businesses have been compromising consumer identities, leading to financial losses and tarnished reputations.

Even the most robust security system can’t ensure identity security without stringent authentication and authorization mechanisms.

Apart from this, the sudden paradigm shift towards online platforms has also increased the number of signups and registrations on diverse media leading to an increased risk of data breaches since most users aren’t aware of online security best practices.

Also, specific privacy and [data security compliances](https://www.loginradius.com/compliances/) like the GDPR and CCPA require organizations storing consumer information to adhere to their regulations to ensure maximum consumer safety. In contrast, their data is being collected, stored, and managed.