Security News > 2020 > June > Two-factor authentication: A cheat sheet

TechRepublic's two-factor authentication cheat sheet is an introduction to this essential element of cybersecurity.

How does two-factor authentication work? There are a variety of two-factor authentication methods available, all of which have the same end goal: providing a way of proving a login is legitimate that's completely separate from the password.

Two-factor authentication is also referred to as 2FA, two-step verification, login verification, and two-step authentication.

The second factor is, ideally, harder to spoof than a password; it requires something the legitimate user has physical access to, like a smartphone with a particular authenticator app installed, a linked phone number for a push notification or SMS authentication code, or a hardware security key, which leaves a hacker stuck even if they have the correct password to the account.

There are far too many sites using two-factor authentication to list them all here, so if you want to find out if a particular one uses it head over to Turn It On: The Ultimate Guide to Two-Factor Authentication.

News URL

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/two-factor-authentication-cheat-sheet/#ftag=RSS56d97e7