Which term describes the process of establishing confidence in online user identities?

• A. Identity federation.
• B. eAuthentication.
• C. Access control.
• D. Data masking.

Answer: (B)

Establishing confidence in online user identities means confirming who a user claims to be before granting access. The electronic process of doing this is eAuthentication, which involves verifying credentials, tokens, biometrics, or other factors to prove identity online. This is the step that establishes trust so systems can treat a user as who they say they are.

Identity federation, on the other hand, deals with trusted relationships across different domains so a single set of credentials can work across services (single sign-on). Access control is about what permissions a verified user has once identity is established. Data masking is about hiding sensitive data to protect privacy, not proving who a user is.