Using multi-factor authentication
When you need to gain access to a computer system, building, or mobile device, we generally enter our username, and then we must provide a form of authentication, in one of several ways:
- What you know, such as a password or PIN
- What you have, such as a smart card or token
- What you are, such as a fingerprint or iris pattern
- Where you are, using geolocation and geofencing
While many of us have only ever used one form of authentication, it's becoming more apparent that more than one identifier should be used to validate a user's identity.
In the next section, let's take a look at combining two or more types of authentication to improve the security of a system.
Strengthening a standard login
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is becoming popular, as companies aim to improve the security of their systems. Multi-factor authentication requires two or more ways to authenticate, such as a smart card and PIN...