Most of the time, whenever we log in to a website, we provide our identity, that is, our username and a password, to authenticate with the site. If a hacker gains possession of your user account credentials, then your account is compromised. By adding an additional layer of security during the authentication phase, it makes it harder for an attacker to gain access. This is called MFA.
During MFA, the user enters their username and password, and if the account is found on the system, it prompts the user to enter one or more of the following:
- Something you know
- Something you have
- Something you are
- Somewhere you are
- Something you do
Afterward, the system will grant the user access to the resources.
The following are examples of each of the preceding factors:
- Something you know can be a password or PIN
- Something you have can be a token, such as...