Frequently Asked Question
What are Multi-Factor and Two-Factor Authentication?
Last Updated a year ago
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an improvement over relying on a password to verify your identity. Multi-factor authentication requires successfully responding to several questions or prompts before permission is granted to access the service. The different factors include:
Some sites require that multiple questions be answered before access is granted. However, correctly answering two or more questions (like a password followed by the city in which you were born) is not as secure as two-factor authentication because both answers are things you know.
Additional Information:
Keywords: security, verification, multifactor, factor, 2-Step (2FA)
- Something you know (usernames, passwords, security questions)
- Something you have (a key fob, or a one-time code sent to a mobile device or email)
- Something you are (a fingerprint, face scan, etc.)
- Somewhere you are (geolocations)
- Something you do (keystroke patterns)
Some sites require that multiple questions be answered before access is granted. However, correctly answering two or more questions (like a password followed by the city in which you were born) is not as secure as two-factor authentication because both answers are things you know.
Additional Information:
- Multi-Factor Authentication Tip Sheet
- Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How to Set It Up (PCMag - by Eric Griffith, 3/11/2019)
- Authy vs. Google Authenticator (by Simon Thorpe, 3/8/2017)
- Two Factor Auth (2FA)
- Video: What is Two-Factor Authentication? (1:59)
Keywords: security, verification, multifactor, factor, 2-Step (2FA)
