{"id":98329,"date":"2024-07-17T16:28:56","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T14:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossary\/two-factor-authentication-2fa\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T23:53:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:53:14","slug":"two-factor-authentication-2fa","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/en\/glossary\/two-factor-authentication-2fa\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-factor authentication (2FA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"98329\" class=\"elementor elementor-98329 elementor-55034\" data-elementor-post-type=\"glossary\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40461a44 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"40461a44\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-372a749 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"372a749\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-113b7e61 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"113b7e61\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7aabcea8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7aabcea8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-723ca010 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"723ca010\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is two-factor authentication?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39585e74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39585e74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Two-factor <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossar\/authentifizierung\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">authentication<\/a> (2FA) is a security method in which the user confirms their identity by entering two different verifiable pieces of information from different categories. These categories include knowledge factors, possession factors, and inherent factors. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f97bef e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7f97bef\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51c964b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"51c964b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2FA: How it works<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6573f846 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6573f846\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The user enters the first verifiable piece of information: this can be a password or a PIN (knowledge factor). After the first piece of information has been entered successfully, the system requests a second verifiable piece of information. This may be a one-time password (possession factor) or a fingerprint (inherent factor). It then compares both pieces of information with the stored authentication data. If both match, the system grants the user access; if they do not match, it denies access.    <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d3575b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5d3575b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Advantages and disadvantages<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ce217b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9ce217b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Advantages:<\/p><ul><li>This method provides greater security because it combines two different factors.<\/li><li>It reduces the risk of unauthorized access because two factors must be compromised.<\/li><\/ul><p>Disadvantages:<\/p><ul><li>Users have increased effort, as two steps are required for verification.<\/li><li>The method may involve higher implementation costs.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c813fa elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2c813fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Examples of 2FA use<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8149c45 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8149c45\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Two-factor authentication (2FA) is used in many areas. It increases security when accessing systems and services, for example in the following contexts:  <\/p><h3>Online banking and financial services<\/h3><p><strong>Bank accounts<\/strong>: In addition to their password, customers enter a code sent to their mobile phone. Only then can they access their online banking account. <\/p><p><strong>Credit card transactions<\/strong>: When shopping online, users may need to enter a code. The code is sent to their registered phone number to confirm the transaction. <\/p><h3>Corporate network and VPN<\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossar\/vpn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VPN<\/a> access<\/strong>: In addition to their password, employees enter a code provided via an authenticator app or by SMS. They can then access the corporate network. <\/p><h3>Healthcare<\/h3><p><strong>Electronic health record<\/strong>: In addition to their password, doctors and patients enter a code. They receive it by SMS or via an authenticator app. This provides better protection for access to sensitive health data.  <\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsi.bund.de\/dok\/509176\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More information is available here<\/a> on two-factor authentication. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-636de6c0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"636de6c0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15378721 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"15378721\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Home<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37edebc4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"37edebc4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/en\/knowledge\/glossary\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Glossary<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is two-factor authentication? Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security method in which the user confirms their identity by entering two different verifiable pieces of information from different categories. These categories include knowledge factors, possession factors, and inherent factors. 2FA: How it works The user enters the first verifiable piece of information: this can be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"glossary-categories":[],"glossary-tags":[],"class_list":["post-98329","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Two-factor authentication | firstcolo Glossary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Two-factor authentication protects corporate access with two proofs of identity \u2013 explained briefly in the glossary.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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