multi-factor authentication

noun

mul·​ti-factor authentication ˌməl-tē-ˈfak-tər- 

-ˌtī-

variants or less commonly multifactor authentication

: a method of verifying the identity of a person (as for granting access to a system) by requiring a password and one or more additional forms of authorization (such as a code, a fingerprint, or a smartphone app)

You may also wish to sign up for multi-factor authentication wherever possible as an added layer of security.

—mashable.com

Multi-factor authentication: This electronic authentication method requires users to present at least two pieces of evidence proving their identity.

—sfgate.com

Multifactor authentication uses a combination of two or three different ways to authenticate your identity. The first is what you know—usually a password, but [it] can also include your response to a challenge question. … The second is what you have. This could be a physical device, for example, a smart card with a chip in it or a hardware token that generates one-time-only passwords. … The third is who you are, as indicated by some biometric such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. Almost every multifactor approach uses a password, and then combines this with the second or the third factor or both.

—eWeek.com

Let's say you're going to sign into your work or school account, and you enter your username and password. If that's all you need then anybody who knows your username and password can sign in as you from anywhere in the world! But if you have multifactor authentication enabled, things get more interesting. The first time you sign in on a device or app you enter your username and password as usual, then you get prompted to enter your second factor to verify your identity.

—support.microsoft.com

compare two-factor authentication

Examples of multi-factor authentication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Use multi-factor authentication Most major websites now support multi-factor or two-step authentication, which requires not only a username and password but additional assurances that a user is the rightful account holder. —Brian Fung, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024

Single sign-on access, multi-factor authentication, and VPN auto-connect are also included with a NordLayer subscription. —PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024

There’s even an option to have Cloaked provide multi-factor authentication codes, taking the place of Google Authenticator or another authenticator app. —PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024

After signing into your vault, click on My Settings and then open the Security menu to set up your multi-factor authentication (MFA) method. —PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024

Once the swap occurs, the bad actor can defeat multi-factor authentication protections and access online accounts to steal data or money. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2024

Enabling multi-factor authentication means the master password alone isn’t enough to open your treasure trove of passwords. —PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2024

For another: the use of a weak password and the failure to secure the account with multi-factor authentication to protect an account on a Regional Internet Registry such as RIPE. —Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024

Without getting too deep in the weeds, AI and some basic cybersecurity hygiene (like multi-factor authentication, or MFA) can handle the majority of those incidents. —Rohit Ghai, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined above