In
computer security
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...
, logging in (or logging on, signing in, or signing on) is the process by which an individual gains
access
Access may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* ACCESS (Australia), an Australian youth network
* Access (credit card), a former credit card in the United Kingdom
* Access Co., a Japanese software company
* Access Healthcare, an Indian BPO ...
to a
computer system by
identifying and
authenticating
Authentication (from ''authentikos'', "real, genuine", from αὐθέντης ''authentes'', "author") is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicatin ...
themselves. The
user credentials are typically some form of
username
A user is a person who utilizes a computer or network service.
A user often has a user account and is identified to the system by a username (or user name). Other terms for username include login name, screenname (or screen name), account ...
and a matching
password,
and these credentials themselves are sometimes referred to as ''a'' login (or logon, sign-in, sign-on).
[Oxford Dictionaries](_blank)
definition of ''login''.
detail and definition of ''login'' and ''logging in''. In practice, modern secure systems often require a
second factor such as
email or
SMS
Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
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