This article was written by Bill, founder of Pixel Privacy. Since Online privacy is a topic dear to this Website, & concerns all of us who are Online, we have re-published bits of the article by Bill, here, for the benefit & education of our readers, of course, with his prior permission.
As the always-online world has continued to become an ever more dangerous place, the need for user authentication methods other than the old, not-so-reliable username/password combo has become evident.
Logins via the long-accepted username and password method have grown increasingly insecure. Unfortunately, many users make use of the same username and password or rotate through a small number of login combinations. This makes it easier for hackers who might have gained access to user data in the data breaches we seem to hear about almost daily.
Once a bad guy has your login to one website or online service, they consider it a good possibility that you may have used that same login information on other sites and services. Hackers can then try to use the login information to gain access to a user’s account on multiple websites, including banking, credit card and shopping sites.
Due to this problem, many websites, social networks, computer and mobile device makers have begun requiring users to use two-factor authentication to log in to their services, networks and devices.
In this article, I’ll explain what two-factor authentication is, how it works, how it increases the level of security for logins, what the drawbacks are and why you should use it if it’s available.
I’ll also discuss some of the companies and popular online services that use two-factor authentication to protect their customers’ logins and associated personal information.
What is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), also known as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), is a method of authorizing a login using two pieces of authentication. The two pieces are usually defined as something the user has, and something the user knows.
Perhaps the best way to explain two-factor authentication is to use a situation most of my readers will be familiar with: withdrawing money from an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).
Two things are required for an ATM withdrawal to be approved by your bank: your valid credit or debit card (what you have), and your 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) (what you know).
Two-Factor Authentication can be made up of various factors, and it varies widely among organizations. Each of these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages.
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