OCR GCSE Computer Science Paper 2 Practice 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The process of checking the identity of a user is called authentication. This involves verifying that the user is who they claim to be, typically by checking credentials such as a username and password, biometric data, or security tokens. Authentication is the step that occurs before allowing access to systems or sensitive data, ensuring that the user has the right to access that information.

Verification refers to checking the correctness of something but does not specifically pertain to confirming identity in the same way as authentication. Authorization, on the other hand, deals with granting permissions to an authenticated user, determining what resources the user is allowed to access. Identification is simply the act of presenting oneself or claiming a certain identity, but it does not involve the confirmation or validation aspect that authentication encompasses. Therefore, authentication is the specific term that accurately describes the process of confirming a user's identity.