Two Factor Authentication – Definition, Method, Steps, Forms, and More

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2 months ago

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What is Two Factor Authentication?

A Two Factor Authentication is a tool offered by several online service providers, which serves the purpose of adding a layer of security to the login process of your Internet accounts.
The mechanics are simple: when the user logs in to his online service account, this tool asks him to authenticate the ownership of his performance, providing two different factors.
The first of these is the password. The second can be several things, always depending on the service.
In the most common of cases, it is usually a code sent to a mobile phone via SMS or to an email account.
The fundamental essence of this tool comes down to the fact that you must “know something” and “own something” if you want to log into one of your accounts.

While two-factor authentication is not a foolproof method, it is an excellent barrier to preventing unwanted intrusion into your online accounts.
What is Knwoledge Management System (KMS): It is public knowledge that passwords have a double edge:
The weakest are easy to remember but very easy to deduce.
And the strong ones can be difficult to guess, but they are also challenging to remember.
Thus, many people, who are not already good at creating strong passwords, use the same password for all their accounts.
In this sense, two-factor authentication essentially achieves that an attacker has to decrypt the user’s password and access a second factor.
It is much more difficult to obtain, and that would involve either stealing a cell phone or compromising an email.

Client Management System: If the two-factor authentication system is secure, then it is the best protection you can have in these cases.
There is a second benefit that this tool provides, and that is that it lets you know when someone has tried to enter your account without authorization.
If you receive a code to access your account on your mobile or in your email and you were not the one who tried to log in.
It is because someone has guessed your password and wants to enter your profile.
If this happens, you must change your password immediately.

The rule is simple. If the service you use offers a Two Factor Authentication tool and that account is valuable to you.
You should activate it.
In simple words, the priorities should be your online bank accounts, your email.

In addition to mentioned, there are tools as RSA’s Secure ID, a generator of chained codes and is typically using in the corporate sector.
Along with the previous ones, are the most used, although there are still more:
The Transaction Authentication Number (TAN) is an old form of two-factor authentication used in the past.
They were popular in Europe, and it was in the following way:
Your bank would send you a list of TAN’s and every time you had to make a money transaction, you had to enter one of these codes.
The ATM also works as a two-factor authentication tool, like something you must “know” -your PIN- and something you must “have” -your debit card.
Currently, many companies implement biometric technologies that serve the same functions.
Some systems require a personal password, scanning the fingerprints, the pupils, or even the users’ heartbeat.
On the other hand, wearable devices are catching on as well.
Some systems require that you wear a unique bracelet or some other accessory with a built-in chip.
Some scientific papers already speak of electromagnetic tattoos that could be helpful for these same purposes.
Google and Facebook have their applications to generate codes.
It allows users to create their unique access codes instead of receiving them by SMS or email.

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