Tech Tips

Multi-factor Authentication Demystified

You have probably come across the term multi-factor authentication of late. It is an IT buzzword today and is fast becoming one of the best practices of cybersecurity.

What is Multi-factor Authentication?

As fancy as the term sounds, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is just multiple barriers to data access, which adds to the security component. In simple terms, imagine your data in a box. Then that box fits into another, and then into another, and all the boxes have locks. So it is adding layers of security to your data. We are already experiencing MFA regularly. For example, when you want to make a transaction online using your banking portal, chances are, it sends you an OTP (one-time password) to your mobile number that’s registered with your bank. Some banking portals also ask you for the grid numbers on the back of your debit card. Some online transactions using credit cards ask for CVV or expiry dates.

Even Gmail, Facebook, and LinkedIn use multi-factor authentication when they see unusual activity in your accounts. Such as a first-time log-in from a device you haven’t used before Going beyond OTPs, Facebook takes MFA a notch higher by asking you to identify a couple of your friends on Facebook or your most recent profile picture.

What is the Break-down of Multi-factor Authentication?

According to Wikipedia, Multi-factor authentication is an authentication method in which a computer user is granted access only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence(or factors) to an authentication mechanism. In simpler terms, that means,

As the first layer of security, we have passwords, answers to security questions, PINs, etc.,
The second layer includes authentication methods such as OTPs, security tokens, access cards, etc.,
The third and final layer is something personal to the user. Examples include biometric validation such as an eye scan, fingerprint scan, voice commands, or facial recognition.

So, you see, even something as simple as withdrawing money from an ATM has you going through the multi-factor authentication process. You need to key in your PIN and use your debit card to be able to transact successfully. With cybercrime being rampant, businesses cannot rely on the old school access authorization methods using a single password or PIN.