Two-factor authentication is an extra level of security known as multi-factor authentication.
It adds an extra step to the login process.
Instead of only having to enter your username and password to log into a website, with two-factor authentication enabled, you also need to confirm your identity in one additional step.
There are multiple ways to confirm your identity with two-factor authentication:
• An app on your mobile device
• SMS using your cell phone
• A security token (a long string of randomized letters and numbers) that you physically copy down in advance
• An encrypted USB drive
• Key fob
• A physical card that’s read by a card reader
• Naturally, online two-factor authentication consists of using an app, SMS, security token or USB drive.
When it comes to these techniques, we did see many breaches in terms of offensive techniques to gain access to the SMS/Emails Sent to the user intercepting them to complete the login process or when it comes to Security Tokens, Encrypted USB Drives, even IoT devices, they all have been proven to be bypassed, or in few words, gain access to someone’s’ secure’ location, using one of the authentication methods described.
As for Applications on your phone that provide these codes, they too can cause a problem, if your phone gets stolen, broken and you did not do the necessary steps to recover your 2FA Codes, your Notebooks is Stolen which stores these codes, or get phished, and resulting in giving access to your credentials.
It is not the methods that are designed to secure your private information, it’s what you do, what to look for, and how much knowledge you have in terms of what you are securing. Where you are storing your data, and the layers you have used will play an important role.
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