Multi-factor Authentication, or MFA, is an approach that lets users protect their login credentials by requiring two or more independent authentication factors. There are several different types of factors, which include the knowledge factor (something known only to the person who is trying to authenticate), the possession factor (something owned only by that person), and the inherent factor (something only that person is).
The most popular form of multi-factor authentication is two-factor authentication, which is used by various online services, social media platforms, and most banks. The three most popular factors are pretty clearly defined. The knowledge factor includes PIN codes, the “What is your mother’s maiden name” type of questions, passwords, or swipe patterns. The possession factor comprises physical items, such as cryptographic keys or local authenticators (e.g., smartphones). The inherence factor is based on biometrics and includes face recognition, fingerprint scans, or voiceprints.
If you want to make your application more secure, you can use either more factors or more advanced authentication methods.
Many people still do not use multi-factor authentication, and there are a few reasons for that. Firstly, not all online services support it. The number of online brands that do, however, is increasing every year. A couple of years ago, only banks and big technology companies used that service. Now, almost every social media platform supports it. Most of the big e-commerce sites do so as well.
Secondly, some people like to share their private accounts with a business partner or their significant other. In such a case, MFA would not work because they would have to share a smartphone all the time. In the corporate environment, this would naturally constitute a breach of the basic security rules, but in private life, people often place comfort over security. Moreover, there are also people who just do not want to add any extra steps to their login process and are comfortable with how things are.
Ignoring MFA may be acceptable when it comes to personal data security protection, but when enterprise security is concerned, the solution should definitely be adopted. The risk related to compromising company data is simply too high. Visit our page dedicated to two-factor authentication and learn answers to questions such as: