What is Multi-Factor?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource. These factors typically fall into the categories of something you know (e.g., password), something you have (e.g., a security token or smartphone), and something you are (e.g., biometric data). MFA significantly increases security by making it harder for attackers to gain access, as they would need to compromise multiple authentication factors rather than just one.