CyberSecurity FAQ - What is 1-, 2- and 3- factor authentication? What is SFA, 2FA, 3FA?

In the context of security in general, and cybersecurity in particular, authentication is the act of confirming of the truth of an attribute of a single piece of data (a datum) claimed true by an entity. There are several levels of security authentication: • Single-Factor Authentication (SFA), where you need to provide at least one kind of credential, typically something that you know (see below), to authenticate; • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), where you need to provide two out of three kinds of credentials to authenticate; • Three-Factor Authentication (3FA), where you need to provide three out of three kinds of credentials to authenticate. The three kinds of credentials used to authenticate are listed below: • Something that you know, such as a password, a Personal Identification Number (PIN), or a geometric pattern; • Something that you have, such as an ATM card, credit card, mobile phone, or fob; • Something that you are, such as a biometric id (e.g., fingerprint, voiceprint, iris scan).