![]() But even if that operating system’s gatekeeping is flawless, the data is still unencrypted, which means an attacker could remove the disk and put it on a machine with a different operating system. The computer’s operating system serves as a gatekeeper in this respect, and will allow only certain people to read the data in that particular file. Unless the resource is encrypted, it may be possible to remove not only the gatekeeper, but also the gates that it is supposed to protect.Ĭonsider setting a file on a computer’s disk to only be readable to its owner. Resources guarded by authentication-based systems may be accessible through ways that don’t involve the gatekeeper. Data is usable independent of the gatekeeper The gatekeeper should only grant access in the right circumstances, but nothing guarantees that it does.Įncryption, on the other hand, uses mathematics to make sure that the only way to access the resource in a meaningful way is to use the correct encryption key. One inherent challenge with authentication-based systems is that the gatekeeper has the power to grant access to whatever resource it protects. Gatekeepers can act without user authentication These systems suffer from a number of security challenges that do not typically affect encryption-based systems such as 1Password. Why are authentication-based systems weaker?Īuthentication-based systems involve a gatekeeper that grant access to a resource after someone has convinced it that they have the authority to access that resource. ![]() Transforms gibberish into valuable resources Transform state of the verifier so it grants access Transform state of the lock so it grants access Proves to the verifier that it is the right secret Something you know that is transformed into a cryptographic key Something you know that proves to a system that you are authorized to do stuff Something you know that proves to a guard that you are authorized to enter Secrets used to encrypt and decrypt data are called “keys”, and 1Password often talks about “unlocking” a “vault”, which are useful metaphors but are far more appropriate for authentication-based systems. The distinction can be hard to grasp partly because the terms used by encryption-based systems suggest that they are actually being used for authentication. 1Password is based on encryption-based systems, but it also uses authentication-based systems for 1Password accounts. They seem to behave identically: Knowing a password allows you to do something with the data that it is supposed to safeguard.īut encryption-based systems offer more than their authentication-based counterparts, and it’s worth knowing which system is used to protect your data. Most people can ignore the distinction between passwords used for encryption and passwords used for authentication. Passwords are used for both authentication and encryption ![]() Reversing the process is called decryption.Īuthentication is the process of convincing a gatekeeper that you are who you say you are, typically by proving that you know a secret.Įncryption-based systems are inherently more secure than authentication-based systems, but authentication-based systems have the benefit of being far more flexible than their counterparts. ![]() What is the difference between authentication and encryption?Įncryption transforms meaningful data into what looks like gibberish using a secret that can also be used to reverse the process. Authentication is used to provide our hosted services but not relied on for securing your data. 1Password uses strong, end-to-end encryption.
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