Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Week 4 Multifactor Authentication
In computer security, an authentication factor is anything you use to authenticate yourself with a system. Using a password is the most common type of authentication. With multi-factor authentication (MFA), you use two or more different factors to log in.
One example is a password and a verification code sent to your smartphone. This is an extra layer of security, so even if one of your factors is stolen, the hacker doesn’t have access to the other authentication factor. This stops them from accessing your account.
As more and more organizations implement MFA to strengthen their security practices, you may encounter different types of authentication factors. There are three different types that you may be asked to provide:
Something you know
— Passwords and security questions
Something you have
— A verification code on your phone or a key card
Something you are
— Biometrics, like your fingerprint
The more factors you use, the better your security. Having a combination of authentication factors is an even better way to keep your data protected.
Rewatch Our Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 Favorites
If you have only one thing protecting your account, like a password, and “that gets broken,” then it is like having nothing at all: Game Over.
If you can add a second thing into the mix to protect your online accounts, then if your password gets stolen you are still protected. Fundamentally, this is the concept of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
