Two-factor Authentication or 2FA is a user identity verification method, where two of the three possible authentication factors are combined to grant access to a website or application.1) something the user knows, 2) something the user has, or 3) something the user is.
The possible factors of authentication are:
· Something the User Knows:
This is often a password, passphrase, PIN, or secret question. To satisfy this authentication challenge, the user must provide information that matches the answers previously provided to the organization by that user, such as “Name the town in which you were born.”
· Something the User Has:
This involves entering a one-time password generated by a hardware authenticator. Users carry around an authentication device that will generate a one-time password on command. Users then authenticate by providing this code to the organization. Today, many organizations offer software authenticators that can be installed on the user’s mobile device.
· Something the User Is:
This third authentication factor requires the user to authenticate using biometric data. This can include fingerprint scans, facial scans, behavioral biometrics, and more.
For example: In internet security, the most used factors of authentication are:
something the user has (e.g., a bank card) and something the user knows (e.g., a PIN code). This is two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is also sometimes referred to as strong authentication, Two-Step Verification, or 2FA.
The key difference between Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is that, as the term implies, Two-Factor Authentication utilizes a combination of two out of three possible authentication factors. In contrast, Multi-Factor Authentication could utilize two or more of these authentication factors.
