Which item is NOT a method of authenticating users in information systems?

Which item is NOT a method of authenticating users in information systems?

• A. Passwords
• B. Biometrics
• C. Card-based systems
• D. Encryption

Answer: (D)

Authentication means confirming who the user is before granting access. The common ways this is done rely on what the user knows, has, or is: passwords exemplify something you know, card-based systems are something you have, and biometrics are something you are. Encryption, on the other hand, is a method for protecting data by turning it into unreadable form and securing communications. It doesn’t verify identity by itself, so it isn’t used as a user authentication method. It might support secure authentication protocols by protecting credentials, but the act of authentication itself relies on credentials, tokens, or biometrics, not encryption.

Authentication means confirming who the user is before granting access. The common ways this is done rely on what the user knows, has, or is: passwords exemplify something you know, card-based systems are something you have, and biometrics are something you are. Encryption, on the other hand, is a method for protecting data by turning it into unreadable form and securing communications. It doesn’t verify identity by itself, so it isn’t used as a user authentication method. It might support secure authentication protocols by protecting credentials, but the act of authentication itself relies on credentials, tokens, or biometrics, not encryption.