Final answer:
Verification is the process of confirming that an identity matches a known truth, such as verifying an age against an official document. Authentication is determining if someone really is the person they claim to be through passwords or biometrics. Both play vital roles in digital security.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts of verification and authentication are essential in establishing the identity of an individual, but they serve different purposes in security protocols. Verification is the process of confirming that an identity matches a previously established truth. It involves corroborating that the claim being made is indeed correct. For instance, if someone claims to be a certain age, verification would be the process through which that claim is checked against an existing record, such as a birth certificate or driver's license.
On the other hand, authentication is the process by which a system determines if someone is who they claim to be. It is typically performed through mechanisms such as passwords, biometrics, or security tokens. When you log into a secure system, authentication checks the credentials you provide against those on file to ensure they match.
In practice, these terms are often used in various security systems we encounter in daily life. For instance, when accessing a bank account, authentication is required to verify the identity of the account holder through a personal identification number (PIN), a password, or some form of biometric verification. After this, further verification steps might be taken internally by the system for additional security checks. Both verification and authentication play crucial roles in protecting our digital identities and ensuring the security of our personal information online.