Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the practice of using more than one authentication method to verify that users are who they say they are. For example, an online banking system may require customers to enter their username and password, and then a code that is sent to their mobile phone via text. With this method, a hacker would have to have access not just to the credentials, but also to the customer’s phone to gain entry to their account.
Here are a few other authentication methods currently being employed. As they are used more, passwords will increasingly be used less. The following video describes some of them as well:
Biometrics
Biometrics are physical attributes that job function email list uniquely identify individuals. Because we always have them with us, they’re easy to use.
- Fingerprints. No two people have the same fingerprint, so this method can definitively verify an individual’s identity. One example of this technology is the iPhone 5S, which includes Touch ID as a verification option.
- Facial recognition. Devices like the Google Pixel smartphone include facial recognition as a verification option. Rather than typing in a code or a complicated pattern, a user can simply pick up their phone and point it at their face to gain access.
- Iris recognition. Iris recognition is similar to facial recognition but uses only the eye’s iris to verify identity.
Push notifications
Similar to an access code, push notification communication with stakeholders (aka “magic link”) authentication requires access to a specific mobile device or email account. When a user requests entry to a site, they receive a link via text message or email, and must activate the link to gain access. Typically, the link expires after it’s used, or after a certain length of time.
Security keys
Hardware security keys connect to hardware qatar data devices using USB, USB-A, USB-C, NFC, and Bluetooth technology. Some of them include fingerprint authentication for users who want biometric identification for devices that don’t use it. Security keys are small enough to carry anywhere and most of them can be attached to a keychain.