See also Login name, Authentication, Identify management, Personal identification number (PIN), Password, Password manager, Single signon, MFA-2FA, Microsoft Hello, Apple Face ID, Facial recognition, Biometric authentication, Iris recognition, Retinal scan, Eye vein verification, Recognition, Fingerprint recognition
Short description: Process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identifying and authenticating the user account through the credentials presented by the user
In computer security, logging in (or logging on, signing in, or signing on) is the process by which an individual gains access to a computer system by identifying and authenticating themselves. The user credentials are typically some form of “username” and a matching “password”,<ref name=“LINFO” /> and these credentials themselves are sometimes referred to as a login (or a logon or a sign-in or a sign-on). In practice, modern secure systems often require a second factor such as email or SMS confirmation for extra security.
When access is no longer needed, the user can log out (log off, sign out or sign off).