Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security system that requires more than one method of authentication to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction. Two-factor authentication (2FA), arguably the most common form of MFA, typically involves texting or emailing a one-time numeric code to the user after they have entered their password. 

The goal of MFA is to create a layered defense and make it more difficult for an unauthorized person to access a target such as a computer, mobile device, application, network, or database. If one factor is compromised or broken, the attacker still has at least one more barrier to breach before successfully breaking into the target.