Proving your identity to a communication partner is called

• A. Validation
• B. Identification
• C. Authentication
• D. Certification

Answer: (C)

Authentication is the process of proving who you are to another party. In a communication scenario, you present credentials—like a password, a hardware token, a digital certificate, or a biometric trait—and the other side verifies those credentials to confirm your claimed identity. This is different from identification, which is merely stating who you are without proof, and from validation or certification, which serve other purposes such as correctness of data or formal approval. So, proving your identity to a communication partner is authentication.