Learning Center/General education/For Businesses and Users
Authentication Factors
Thomas Pedersen
posted this on November 20, 2010 03:36 pm
In security, there are three types of authentication factors.
- Something you know – username, password, age, birthplace, pet's name etc
- Something you have – a phone, card, fob or token
- Something you are – a biometric such as a fingerprint, iris, voice pattern
Multi-factor authentication is also sometimes referred to as strong authentication. Two-factor authentication involves exactly two authentication factors, such as password and key fob. Multi-factor authentication involves two or more, for example, password, one-time password device and a PKI certificate.
Some vendors use "comfort images" or personal pass phrases as something-you-know and while they may be easier to use, they are not as secure as other types of authentication factors.
Comments
but do you offer an integrated form of #3?
Sean, we currently don't. But you can combine OTP with browser PKI certificates and get three authentication factors if you like.
Will this cover the scenario where I have forgotten my OneLogin password and don't have access to my original sign-up email? In this case, how do I prove to OneLogin that I am the person who actually signed up so that I can get my account reset?
I must disclose that I have an interest in a biometric company that provides such a turnkey solution. However, if there is an alternative, I would like to know as a colleague spent 8 days trying to convince hotmail that he was the the genuine hotmail account owner. He eventually succeeded but it was a painful process and he would have given up after day 1, except he has some critical emails on that account.