The term sounds very technical. Two Factor Authentication, often called 2FA for short. Also known as Multi Factor Authentication (or MFA), it is very simply adding another tool to prove that you are who you say you are. You can think of it kind of like using a safe deposit box at a bank. The bank employee must authenticate your signature and unlock the box with their own key before they let you use your key to open your box.
In the past, you have probably had a code sent to your phone to log in to certain services. This is a form of two factor authentication. In this case, the service was using your SMS (which simply stands for "Short Message Service") text feature on your cell phone to send you a second code.
SMS text messages are not very secure. They add a layer of security but they are vulnerable to hackers through several well known vulnerabilities.
So what is the solution? Authentication applications come to the rescue. An authentication applications links your identity to the service you are trying to use. Once configured, you must respond to an encrypted challenge each time a device tries to log in to your service.
The application on your phone communicates through sophisticated algorithms with the servers at the service provider. It proves that you are really you.
Most cloud services are slowly moving to make everyone use some type of secure token identity proof. Many banking and credit card services are making the shift way from SMS to Authenticator apps now and most business insurance companies are requiring their insured customer employees to use them.
There are two Authentication tools that are fairly well tested. One is Microsoft's Authenticator and the other is Google's Authenticator. Both tools work with many different services. As an example, you can use the Google Authenticator tool to authenticate a Microsoft Office 365 login.
To find your Authentication Application, do a search for Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator from the Apple App Store or Google Play stores. There are many other third party tools available but you should do your own research before trusting them.
If you need help setting up one of these services, let us know. We would love to help you out.
-Bradley Boots
