Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
This page aims to explain in a simple way what multi factor authentication is(MFA).
What is authentication ?
Authentication is a process which allows someone to prove one's identity to a system in order to access to a private or restricted area such as web applications, social media account, personal computer, and so on.
There a bunch of possibilities to prove one's identity. I can be done using:
something you know: credentials, passphrase.
something you are: fingerprint, facial recongnition.
something you have: SMS, authentication software, yubikey, ....
somewhere you are: geolocalisation, IP address.
: resolve a puzzle, pick some images
Why multi factor authentication (MFA) ?
Very often, a single authentication method can be bypassed.
People use weak credentials and reuse them across multiple platforms, creating a common vulnerability that can be exploited using various techniques.
Fingerprints can be imitated, and geolocation or IP addresses can be spoofed.
This is where multi-factor authentication (MFA) comes in. The idea is to implement multiple authentication techniques to strengthen the security of a system.
The drawback of MFA is that it can be inconvenient, as it makes the authentication process longer. This is why MFA is often used for authentication when accessing a system from a new device.
References
Backgroung image: https://www.uscybersecurity.net/mfa/
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