Cybersecurity Word of the Day: Basic Authentication

Word: Basic Authentication

Definition:
Basic Authentication is the simplest web-based authentication scheme that works by sending the username and password with each request.

Sample Sentence:
Basic authentication was used on the legacy system, exposing credentials with every HTTP request.

Why It Matters:
Basic authentication lacks encryption and is vulnerable to interception unless combined with HTTPS.

Quick Tip:
Avoid using Basic Authentication; if necessary, always pair it with HTTPS or consider modern authentication schemes.

Source: https://www.sans.org/security-resources/glossary-of-terms/