Identify the various user authentication methods that are utilized to help protect and secure a healthcare organization’s network.

Healthcare organizations utilize various user authentication methods to protect and secure their networks. One common method is the use of passwords or passphrases, requiring users to authenticate their identity with unique credentials. “While common, PAP is the least secure protocol for validating users, due mostly to its lack of encryption” (SailPoint Technologies, 2023, para. 12). Organizations may enforce password complexity requirements and periodic changes to enhance security. For example, some facilities may require a minimum of a 15-character password. Biometric authentication technologies, such as fingerprint scans or facial recognition, offer additional layers of identity verification based on physiological characteristics. Some cell phones and computers use this type of biometrics. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) combines two or more authentication factors, such as passwords, tokens, or biometrics, to strengthen security measures and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access. “Like 2FA, MFA uses factors like biometrics, device-based confirmation, additional passwords, and even location or behavior-based information (e.g., keystroke pattern or typing speed) to confirm user identity” (SailPoint Technologies, 2023, para. 10). Additionally, single sign-on (SSO) solutions streamline user authentication processes by enabling access to multiple systems and applications with a single set of credentials, reducing the burden of managing multiple passwords while enhancing overall security posture. “Organizations can accomplish this by identifying a central domain (most ideally, an IAM system) and then creating secure SSO links between resources” (SailPoint Technologies, 2023, para. 9)

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National Academies Press (US). (1997). Technical approaches to protecting electronic health information. For The Record Protecting Electronic Health Information – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233433/

SailPoint Technologies. (2023, March 7). Authentication methods used for network security | SailPoint. SailPoint. https://www.sailpoint.com/identity-library/authentication-methods-used-for-network-security/