Whoa, whoa, what? That’s a mouthful.
The term multi-factor authentication (or two-step verification) glows with the arrogant aura of arcane technical jargon. However, it is one of those technical concepts that is actually quite beneficial if you can get over being repulsed by the inaccessibility of the term itself.
Let’s break it down a bit. Multi-factor in this case just means “more than one device.” Authentication is just another way of describing the process of a secure system verifying that you are who you say you are. So, multi-factor authentication is the method of using more than one device to make you prove that you are who you say you are, in order to access a secure account.
An example of this would be a website that requires you to not only put in a username and password to access a secure account, but also to enter a secure code that is sent to your mobile phone in the process.
Multi-factor authentication is becoming more popular with website and app developers because someone trying to get into one of your secure accounts would need access to at least two of your devices in order to be successful. This reduces the chances of someone being able to get access to accounts without permission. Although, hackers are finding news ways even to get around this—look for an upcoming article on sim card swapping.
You can read more about best practices for using passwords securely in Passwords Part 3: How to use passwords securely.
Have fun, and be safe!
Rob Parker, aka the Grumpy Designer