The authentication of information can pose special problems with electronic communication, such as vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attacks, whereby a third party taps into the communication stream, and poses as each of the two other communicating parties, in order to intercept information from each. Extra identity factors can be required to authenticate each party's identity.
The term _digital authentication_ refers to a group of processes where the confidence for user identities is established and presented via electronic methods to an information system. It is also referred to as e-authentication. The digital authentication process creates technical challenges because of the need to authenticate individuals or entities remotely over a network.
The American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a generic model for digital authentication that describes the processes that are used to accomplish secure authentication:
# Enrollment An individual applies to a credential service provider (CSP) to initiate the enrolment process. After successfully proving the applicant’s identity, the CSP allows the applicant to become a subscriber.
# Authentication After becoming a subscriber, the user receives an authenticator e.g., a token (software token) and credentials, such as a user name. He or she is then permitted to perform online transactions within an authenticated session with a relying party, where they must provide proof that he or she possesses one or more authenticators.
# 'Life-cycle maintenance The CSP is charged with the task of maintaining the user’s credential of the course of its lifetime, while the subscriber is responsible for maintaining his or her authenticator(s).