In this second part of the Yubikey blog series we will deep dive into 2FA: 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) is a security process which adds an additional layer of security into online accounts and authentication mechanisms. To authenticate that you are who you claim to be, there are three factors: You know something (password) You have something (a security card) You are something (biometrics – faceID, fingerprint) The 2FA is typically used because you have something that you can prove belongs to your persona.
Most of you folks are already aware of password authentication and MFA (Multi Factor Authentication). Just a little bit of history: the first password was used in the Compatible Time-Sharing System at MIT in 1961. The MFA, however, was introduced later in 1986 with the first RSA Tokens, and recently MFA has become widely used among consumers. According to MFA digital authenticator company Duo’s annual State of the Auth Report, two-factor authentication has become notably more prevalent over the last two years, with 79% of respondents reporting having used it in 2021, compared to 53% in 2019 and 28% in 2017.