A network administrator wants to increase the confidentiality of the system by hardening the authentication process.
Currently, the users log in using usernames and passwords to access the system.
Which of the following will increase the authentication factor to three?
A.
Adding a fingerprint reader to each workstation and providing a RSA authentication token B.
Adding a fingerprint reader and retina scanner C.
Using a smart card and RSA token D.
Enforcing a stronger password policy and using a hand geometry scan.
A.
A network administrator wants to increase the confidentiality of the system by hardening the authentication process.
Currently, the users log in using usernames and passwords to access the system.
Which of the following will increase the authentication factor to three?
A.
Adding a fingerprint reader to each workstation and providing a RSA authentication token
B.
Adding a fingerprint reader and retina scanner
C.
Using a smart card and RSA token
D.
Enforcing a stronger password policy and using a hand geometry scan.
A.
Authentication factor refers to the level of confidence that a user is who they claim to be, based on the authentication methods used. A higher authentication factor means more confidence in the user's identity. The current authentication method of usernames and passwords is considered to be a two-factor authentication (2FA) method.
To increase the authentication factor to three, the network administrator needs to add an additional factor to the authentication process.
Option A involves adding a fingerprint reader to each workstation and providing a RSA authentication token. This is an example of a two-factor authentication process. The fingerprint reader is a biometric authentication factor, and the RSA token is a knowledge-based authentication factor. The combination of these two factors with the password provides a three-factor authentication process.
Option B involves adding a fingerprint reader and retina scanner. This is also an example of a two-factor authentication process as both the fingerprint reader and retina scanner are biometric authentication factors. Adding these factors to the password would still result in a two-factor authentication process.
Option C involves using a smart card and RSA token. This is also a two-factor authentication process as the smart card is a possession-based authentication factor, and the RSA token is a knowledge-based authentication factor.
Option D involves enforcing a stronger password policy and using a hand geometry scan. This is also an example of a two-factor authentication process as the stronger password policy is a knowledge-based authentication factor, and the hand geometry scan is a biometric authentication factor.
Therefore, the correct answer is A - adding a fingerprint reader to each workstation and providing an RSA authentication token.