Multifactor Authentication, or MFA for short, has become a major cornerstone of digital security. If you’re looking to protect your personal or company data, grasping the nuts and bolts of MFA is a great place to start. Don’t get me wrong: it can be annoying and frustrating, but it is intrinsically worth it.
Simply put, MFA is a security system that requires more than one method of verification from independent categories of credentials to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction. Entering a password would be the first step; MFA demands additional evidence before granting access; thus, creating layers of defense against unauthorized entry.
In my opinion, knowing what each type of MFA system brings to the table empowers you to make better decisions for your cyber safety. Traditionally, MFA systems rely on three major categories: ‘Something you know’ (knowledge factors), ‘something you have’ (possession factors), and ‘something you are’ (inherence factors).
Each of these types has its own strengths and when combined, they can form a robust barrier against cyber threats. Knowledge factors include bits of information only the user should know, like passwords or PIN codes. Possession factors, on the other hand, involve items a user must physically possess, which could be a mobile device or a special USB key. Lastly, inherence factors revolve around biometric verifications—think of fingerprint or facial recognition technology.
Once you understand the hierarchy of authentication factors, you can better appreciate the nuances of each type and their roles in your security strategy. In the next blog, I will break down these categories, explaining how they work and why you might choose one over another.
This article is AI generated.
