Multi-factor authentication
Variations include both longer ones formed from multiple words (a passphrase) and the shorter, purely numeric, PIN commonly used for ATM access.
They typically use a built-in screen to display the generated authentication data, which is manually typed in by the user.
soft token) is a type of two-factor authentication security device that may be used to authorize the use of computer services.
Software tokens are stored on a general-purpose electronic device such as a desktop computer, laptop, PDA, or mobile phone and can be duplicated.
Multi-factor authentication is typically deployed in access control systems through the use, firstly, of a physical possession (such as a fob, keycard, or QR-code displayed on a device) which acts as the identification credential, and secondly, a validation of one's identity such as facial biometrics or retinal scan.
Whereas if the user was off the network or working remotely, a more secure MFA method such as entering a code from a soft token as well could be required.
Adapting the type of MFA method and frequency to a users' location will enable you to avoid risks common to remote working.
This also allows a user to move between offices and dynamically receive the same level of network access[clarification needed] in each.
[citation needed] Two-factor authentication over text message was developed as early as 1996, when AT&T described a system for authorizing transactions based on an exchange of codes over two-way pagers.
[12] Two-step authentication involving mobile phones and smartphones provides an alternative to dedicated physical devices.
To authenticate, people can use their personal access codes to the device (i.e. something that only the individual user knows) plus a one-time-valid, dynamic passcode, typically consisting of 4 to 6 digits.
[14] A year later NIST reinstated SMS verification as a valid authentication channel in the finalized guideline.
[15] In 2016 and 2017 respectively, both Google and Apple started offering user two-step authentication with push notifications[3] as an alternative method.
[22] Beginning with PCI-DSS version 3.2, the use of MFA is required for all administrative access to the CDE, even if the user is within a trusted network.
[24] Vendors such as Uber have been mandated by the bank to amend their payment processing systems in compliance with this two-factor authentication rollout.
[25][26][27] Details for authentication for federal employees and contractors in the U.S. are defined in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12).
[30] NIST Special Publication 800-63-3 discusses various forms of two-factor authentication and provides guidance on using them in business processes requiring different levels of assurance.
Due to the resulting confusion and widespread adoption of such methods, on August 15, 2006, the FFIEC published supplemental guidelines—which state that by definition, a "true" multi-factor authentication system must use distinct instances of the three factors of authentication it had defined, and not just use multiple instances of a single factor.
[35] Two-factor authentication in web applications are especially susceptible to phishing attacks, particularly in SMS and e-mails, and, as a response, many experts advise users not to share their verification codes with anyone,[36] and many web application providers will place an advisory in an e-mail or SMS containing a code.
[39] In May 2017, O2 Telefónica, a German mobile service provider, confirmed that cybercriminals had exploited SS7 vulnerabilities to bypass SMS based two-step authentication to do unauthorized withdrawals from users' bank accounts.
Then the attackers purchased access to a fake telecom provider and set up a redirect for the victim's phone number to a handset controlled by them.
For such products, there may be four or five different software packages to push down to the client PC in order to make use of the token or smart card.
Examples cited include the U.S. government, which employs an elaborate system of physical tokens (which themselves are backed by robust Public Key Infrastructure), as well as private banks, which tend to prefer multi-factor authentication schemes for their customers that involve more accessible, less expensive means of identity verification, such as an app installed onto a customer-owned smartphone.
In 2013, Kim Dotcom claimed to have invented two-factor authentication in a 2000 patent,[52] and briefly threatened to sue all the major web services.
