When connecting to an online information service, you submit your user name, account or ID, and a password before access is granted. What is this short, initial exchange called?

Introduction:
Almost all remote information services require a brief dialogue at the start of a session to verify who you are and whether you may proceed. This is a fundamental aspect of access control and accountability. The question asks for the commonly accepted name of that initial, short exchange in which credentials are presented.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• User provides an identifier (name, account, or user ID).
• User supplies a secret (password, passphrase, or equivalent factor).
• System validates the credentials before granting a session.

Concept / Approach:
The standard term is the log-on procedure (also written login or log in). This encompasses both identification (claiming an identity) and authentication (proving that identity), typically via a password. While “security procedure” and “safeguard procedure” describe the larger domain, they are not the precise, conventional label for this short credential exchange. “Identification procedure” is incomplete because it omits the authentication step that actually verifies the claim.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Operating systems, databases, and SaaS portals uniformly label this step “log on” or “sign in,” reinforcing the conventional name for the process described.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Security procedure: too broad, not the specific exchange name.
• Safeguard procedure: vague; not a standard term.
• Identification procedure: misses authentication; identification alone is insufficient.
• None of the above: incorrect because log-on procedure is correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing identification with authentication; assuming “registration” (creating credentials) is the same as logging on (using them).

Final Answer:
Log-on procedure.