Build Trust in IoT Devices
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security system that needs an individual for providing a couple of credentials to validate their identity. In the IT sector, these credentials take the help of hardware tokens, passwords, biometrics, numerical codes, location, and time. MFA can be generated by using any of these combinations, although most of the executions leverage two important factors, that’s why MFA is also called two-factor authentication (2FA). By leveraging multiple credentials in spite of one, the authentication procedure will remain safe & secure even if any one factor is compromised.
What is Authentication Factors?
Authentication factors are the methods that are used to authenticate the identity. In the IT sector, these factors are defined in the following categories:
• Information: Some data that the user knows like their original username and password.
• Possession: Something that the user has, like a hardware token or smartphone.
• Inherence: Some factors that are inherent to the people, like a fingerprint or retina.
• Location: indicated by the physical presence of the user.
• Time: A specific time period for the user to authenticate.
A couple of these factors are more convenient and easy than others, that’s why IT admins mostly prefer to use time-based one-time password (TOTP) generators to enhance their IT security arrangement.
How Does MFA Work?
MFA can be categorized into two types:
• Device MFA: This MFA can be implemented directly during the time of login to a system.
• Application MFA: This is implemented to get access to one or more applications.
Multi-Factor Authentication works in the same manner for both categories. As the user wants to access a specific resource, they face difficulty inputting several authentication factors, rather than only one.
Then the credentials of a user are verified by a directory services platform or identity provider (IdP). Once it is authenticated, the user can access the wanted resource.