MFA requires authentication methods that unauthorized users cannot replicate. Since passwords alone are not enough to verify identity, MFA demands multiple forms of verification. The most common form of MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA). The idea is that even if cybercriminals can impersonate a user using one piece of information, they won’t be able to provide two or more forms of authentication.

Effective multi-factor authentication utilizes factors from at least two distinct categories. Using two factors from the same category does not meet MFA standards. For example, the combination of a password and a security question falls within the knowledge category, and therefore does not qualify as MFA. However, a password combined with a temporary passcode is valid, as the passcode is a possession factor, verifying access to a specific email account or mobile device.