What is Dual-Factor Authentication?

Dual-factor authentication, also known as two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA), requires two pieces of evidence (credentials) to be granted access.

Credentials can fall into any of these three categories:

• Something a person knows (e.g., a password or PIN).
• Something a person has (e.g., a proximity card).
• Something a person is (e.g., fingerprint).

To be considered multi-factor, each credential must come from two different categories to enhance security. For example, entering a password and having a proximity would grant access, while entering two passwords would not.