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MFA is an increasingly common security measure, but how does it protect your account?

What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

MFA (also known as two-factor authentication or 2FA) is a security process that makes it much more difficult for your accounts to be accessed by unauthorised users.

Best practice security says that users should be authenticated by having access to three things: something you are; something you know; and something you have.

Traditional username and password security covers two of these. Your username identifies who you are (something you are) and your password is something you know.

MFA adds the third layer, or “factor”, to this by requiring something you have. In most cases, this is an authenticator app on your phone, but can be a dedicated hardware authentication device such as a Yubikey.

This third factor makes it much harder for your accounts to be accessed by an unauthorised user because even if your password is breached and pasted online, an attacker will still not have access to your authenticator device.