What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security mechanism that strengthens the protection of digital systems by requiring users to verify their identity using more than one independent factor, rather than relying on a password alone. By layering additional verification on top of a primary credential, MFA makes it significantly harder for an attacker to gain unauthorized access even if one factor has been compromised.

The three recognized factor categories:

• Knowledge: Information only the user knows, such as a password or PIN.
• Possession: Something the user has, such as a smartphone, hardware security token, or smartcard.
• Inherence: A unique characteristic of the user, such as a fingerprint, facial scan, or voice pattern.

Because each factor category fails in a different way, requiring more than one dramatically reduces the chance that a single compromised credential, such as a phished password, is enough on its own to grant an attacker access to sensitive systems or data.