What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?

Protect your applications and environments with two-factor authentication to double down on security (2FA). It’s the quickest and most efficient way to ensure that your users are who they claim to be.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a type of multi-factor authentication (MFA) that increases access security by requiring two methods to verify your identity (also known as authentication factors). These factors can include something you already know, such as a username and password, as well as something you have, such as a smartphone app, to approve authentication requests.

2FA protects your logins from phishing, social engineering, and brute-force password attacks, as well as attackers using weak or stolen credentials.

Why is 2FA Important?

The foundational element of a zero-trust security model is two-factor authentication (2FA). To protect sensitive data, you must ensure that the users attempting to access it are who they claim to be. 2FA is an effective way to protect against phishing, brute-force attacks, credential exploitation, and other security threats that target user passwords and accounts.

Assume you complete primary authentication to an application with a username and password. This data is transmitted via the Internet (your primary network). To complete your second factor, you’ll need to use a different (out-of-band) channel. Out-of-band authentication is used to approve a push notification sent over your mobile network.

So, what’s the big deal? If a remote attacker can access your computer through your Internet connection, they can steal both your password and your second form of authentication if they are sent over the same channel.

Remote attackers can’t impersonate you without your physical device in order to gain unauthorized access to corporate networks, cloud storage, financial information, and other data stored in applications.

By integrating two-factor authentication into your applications, attackers won’t be able to access your accounts unless they have your physical device, which is required to complete the second factor.

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