عملية التوثق من شخصية المستخدم الذي يسعى للوصول إلى بيانات ومعلومات محمية. عملية التوثق تحدد الشخصية وتحدد مستوى النفاذية المسموح بها لهذا الشخص.
 

• User Authentication refers to the process of determining user's identity as well as determining what a user is authorized to access {Who and What}.

• Authentication typically involves the use of a user name and password; certificate, PIN, digital signature and other information that can be used to validate the identity over a network.

• User authentication ensures that the right information gets to the right person.

• Example: Hospital admission clerk accesses the information system using her username and password, which allows her access to the admission module of the system, but not other parts of the system.