As modern business environment today become more and more interconnected, the need for better and more sophisticated network security is of paramount importance. Simple user authentication systems, based on single username and password are insufficient and are too easily lost, stolen, shared and cracked. More sophisticates user authentication methods such as dynamic password generation, Smart Cards, Public Key Infrastructure, Biometrics, are invented for increased security.
What is 2-Factor Authentication?
What you have (any security devices) + What you know (your passwords).
2-Factor Authentication is where the verification process will now depend on 2 aspects:-
- A security device that a valid user should hold, usually the system or service provider will issue to every user a piece of the selected security device during user enrolment process.
- A set of security passwords or PIN that is define by the user himself/herself and needed during the authentication process to confirm he/she is the user he/she claim to be.
A combination of the above 2 aspects will be able to eliminate common threats where the traditional users’ passwords being exposed to unauthorized users. Even if they know one password, he/she will still need the valid security device to proceed.
