Risk-Based Authentication (RBA)
Authentication that computes a real-time risk score from signals like location, device, and behavior, and asks for more proof only when the score is high — instead of applying the same fixed friction every time.
aka: RBA, adaptive authentication
RBA is step-up authentication’s natural evolution: instead of a fixed rule like “transfers over $1,000 need a PIN,” the system scores impossible travel, device fingerprint changes, and behavioral anomalies together and decides how much friction to add, case by case. Getting it right means most legitimate logins feel effortless while genuinely suspicious ones get stopped.