Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA

MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors from different categories — something you know, something you have, or something you are — before being granted access.

⚙️ How Does It Work?

After the user enters their password, the system prompts for a second factor: an OTP from an authenticator app, a push notification, a hardware token, or a biometric scan.

📍 Where Is It Used?

Every enterprise environment — required by most compliance frameworks, cyber insurance policies, and cloud providers for privileged access.

💡 Real-World Example

A company mandates MFA for all VPN logins after a credential stuffing attack. After implementing push notifications, stolen passwords alone become useless — attack success drops to zero.

🔗 Related Terms

Authentication Passwordless FIDO2 Adaptive Authentication MFA Fatigue

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