Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): what is it and why is it important?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a dual system for protecting users against cyber-attacks, because passwords are no longer sufficient. 

This authentication method helps to keep the confidential information of users trying to access resources, services or data safe. Its purpose is to prevent criminal actions such as identity theft, data theft or reputational attacks, among other serious consequences. 

In an increasingly digitized world, digital security must be strengthened to cope with the ever-increasing readiness of criminals. 

It is therefore necessary for you to know what 2FA is in detail and why it is important. To help you, we have prepared the following article.

What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a two-step identity and access management system that is activated when a user wishes to access information, platforms, resources or digital media.

Its objective is, on the one hand, to prevent unauthorized users from accessing a given information or environment, and on the other, to safeguard information from attacks by cybercriminals. This makes it possible to reduce the vulnerability of digital ecosystems of all kinds, whether they are an email, a cloud service, an online platform, an intranet, etc.

One of these two authentication systems usually has a temporary validity and is a one-time use known as Time-based One-time Password (TOTP). They help to reduce the time available for a hacker to attempt to penetrate a system.

This type of authentication is useful to protect users from social engineering such as spear phishing, a data theft technique whose success is based on analyzing the victim beforehand to personalize the attack.

Two-Factor Authentication vs Multi-Factor Authentication

Now that you are familiar with the meaning of two factor authentication, you can understand the difference between 2FA and MFA. As you can guess it is simple: the former uses two factors to proceed to the identification of the person; the latter uses more than 2 steps. 

The goal is the same, although Multi-Factor Authentication is more common in large enterprises, government agencies or financial services as this system adds more layers of security.

How to set up Two-Factor authentication? 6 methods

If you are wondering how Two-Factor Authentication works, it can be implemented in different ways.

The basic operation of 2FA, which is a type of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), uses 2 methods to approve a request for access to a website, application or environment: one based on something you already know (such as a password, username, or any identifying information), and one based on something you have (such as an application on your smartphone).

In the following list we share with you some methods that can be used:

1. Tokens. This is a one-time access that can come from an app that generates one-time-use codes.
2. Push notifications. This system based on sending a signal to your phone to approve or deny an action. It is common in banking applications when validating or rejecting a payment, for example.
3. SMS verification. In this case, the person receives an SMS on their phone to interact with the message, or to use a code that has been sent to them.
4. Voice authentication. This is the voice equivalent of a push notification, i.e., an automated voice tells you the action required to identify yourself.
5. Biometrics. Identification is based on a unique feature of the person, such as a fingerprint.

Sound Proof. It is one of the most cutting-edge technologies today that compares samples of ambient noise to ensure that the order by which you are trying to access an application, and the smartphone that will serve as validation are in the same room.

What is an example of Two-Factor authentication?

It will certainly be easier for you to understand how 2FA works with an example. 

Imagine you want to buy something online. You go to the website that sells the product, add it to your basket and proceed to pay by credit card. 

You will be asked for your personal details, you may need to create an account, and then you will be asked to select the payment method, and, in this case, you should normally add the number, the expiration date and the Card Verification Value (CVV). 

Once you enter them and click the button to finalize the purchase, the web payment gateway will contact your bank to validate the transaction. 

At that moment, your bank will ask you to confirm that it is you who is performing the transaction and will ask you to connect to its application and confirm by another method that it is you. 

As for this second step, depending on each case, you can use, a token, a biometric data, a push notification, etc.

Importance of Two-Factor Authentication

The importance of Two-Factor Authentication lies in the principle of zero trust, i.e. access to sensitive data is subject to the sine qua non condition of authenticating the user’s identity.

In this sense, by adding a complementary step to the way of accessing a system or environment, digital security is strengthened since passwords are no longer sufficient against phishing, brute force attacks and other types of cyberthreat.

Keep in mind that the success of 2FA is based on reinforcing the primary network (information on the Internet, for example) with authentication through an out-of-band network (uses an alternative channel).

In this way, if the primary network is hacked and credentials such as personal data, emails or passwords are accessed, the offender cannot access the system because he does not have the data from the out-of-band network, because it is another type of channel.

For this reason, security experts recommend users to enable Two-Factor Authentication, as it complicates the attackers’ decryption task.

At Smowltech we care about the security and privacy of our clients and each of their users, which is why our proctoring plans have advanced authentication systems.

We invite you to request a free demo, so we can explain in detail the most innovative online and remote monitoring solutions.