Eggcorn Forum

Authentification is a word seen a great deal on computer technical forums and blogs, as well as official documentation.
This portmanteau word which brings together authentic and identification could make sense, but in reality it is almost always simply a misuse, which is now perpetuated (and perpetrated) throughout the field of computer security.

Case for new word: In computer terms, authentication is proving you are who you claim to be, although this often takes place at the same time as claiming that identity. For example, your username identifies you and the password authenticates that it really is you. These are usually given together, so perhaps the correct (new) word for this should be “authentification”.

It is not helped by non-native speakers to whom this actually looks more reasonable – as far as I know “authentifier” is an actual French verb for “to authenticate”.

The construction of authenticity, authenticate, authentication, compared with identity, identify, identification confuses people further.

Case against new word: it is almost certain that the creation of this monstrosity is unintentional rather than clever, despite the well-known hacker habit of creating or defining words to mean exactly what is required for a specific situation.