What is 2FA?
Everyone is used to interacting with single-factor authentication systems daily. These
interactions include
using a password to access an office computer or even using a key to start your car. In some
cases, it’s even more important to ensure someone’s identity for reasons such as higher risks,
possibility of fraud, etc. A common technique to address this is adding a second factor, or Two
Factor Authentication (2FA), for better security. When an ATM asks you to use both a card and
type in a passcode, that’s 2FA in action. A would-be thief needs to steal both the physical card
and your knowledge of the code to fool the ATM into giving them your money.
Why do you need 2FA everywhere?
These days, our digital identities and interactions are a critical part of our privacy and
security. Most of the time, these identities are solely protected by passwords and the problem
with that
is that your password may become insecure by factors both within and outside of your control
(such as
clicking on a “phishing” email or a hacker gaining access to a poorly protected database from a
compromised service). Given the number and severity of these incidents in the past few years,
with up to millions of passwords showing up online regularly, the most effective and easiest
solution is to enable all users to use 2FA.