What is an authentication factor?

On most of the websites, we provide a username and password to authenticate ourselves. This username and password identify who we are. And when we use an ATM, we authenticate ourselves by swiping an ATM card, and then we provide our PIN. In other words, we provide some piece of information that identifies us uniquely. This piece of information that is used to verify a person’s identity is called an authentication factor. In the above examples, our password, PIN, and ATM card are authentication factors.

What are the different types of authentication factors?

There are three different types of authentication factors.

• Knowledge Factor
• Possession Factor
• Inherence Factor

Knowledge Factor

A knowledge factor refers to something we know. When we authenticate ourselves using a password, the password is considered a knowledge factor. A password is a piece of information that only the user knows and no one else. Hence, the combination of username and password can uniquely identify a person and verify his identity.

Using a knowledge factor alone to authenticate a user is very common. But, it is less secure. If an attacker is able to know the user’s password, the attacker can easily access the user’s account and impersonate the user.

Possession Factor

A possession factor refers to something we possess. When we use an ATM, we swipe our ATM card and then provide the PIN. Here, …