What Is Machine Authentication?

Machine authentication is like the first time you realize your parents are actually human. For as long as you can remember, you've looked at your parents as these perfect beings who know everything about life and can do everything better than anyone else. You don't really know them, but you think they're gods walking around on earth then, one day, they need to log into a new website, and all of a sudden, they're struggling with their passwords and getting frustrated because they can't remember it all have to reset it three times before they can get it right and suddenly. Instead of being this infallible thing who knows everything and never makes mistakes or struggles with anything, your parents are just another person who needs help sometimes too. That's kind of what machine authentication is like—it's when you realize that machines are just as fallible as humans are and that sometimes even if something looks like its "secure," there could still be flaws in how it's implemented or set up that mean someone could gain access to information or resources without authorization. If you think about it, the way we authenticate machines is weird. Think about it: We use the same username and password for our bank account and favorite dating app. We use the same username and password for our work email and social media accounts. (You know who you are!) And then we come home, open up our laptop, and type in—what? The same username and password as every other device? It's not like this is some secret or anything. It's right there in plain sight on your login screen! Your computer knows that's your username because it was programmed to recognize it, so why wouldn't you use the same thing on every device? But what happens when one device gets hacked? What happens when someone steals your laptop? How do you know if they've stolen your phone or tablet too? The answer is simple: You don't! And that means someone could be using your identity right now to steal money from your bank account or post inappropriate things to social media sites under your name—and there's nothing you can do about it!