Multifactor Authentication and Password Security

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on MFA, password weaknesses, and attack types.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Authentication using at least two independent factors from different categories (knowledge, possession, inherence, action, or location).

Knowledge Factor (Something You Know)

A factor based on information you know, such as a username, password, PIN, or security answers.

Possession Factor (Something You Have)

A factor based on something you physically possess, such as a smart card, RSA key fob, or RFID badge.

Inherence Factor (Something You Are)

A biometric factor based on unique physical traits, like fingerprints, retina/iris patterns, or voiceprint.

Action Factor (Something You Do)

A factor based on user actions, such as the way you sign, a drawn pattern, or a specific pass phrase.

Location Factor (Somewhere You Are)

A factor based on location, using geotagging (GPS) or geofencing to verify device location.

Geotagging

Authentication based on GPS coordinates to confirm where a user/device is.

Geofencing

Defining a geographic boundary and triggering alerts if a device leaves the allowed area.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

A form of MFA that requires two distinct factors, such as a password plus a token.

Password

A secret string used to verify identity; weaknesses include unchanged default credentials, common words, and short length.

Default Credentials

Default usernames and passwords shipped with devices that are easy to guess if not changed.

Dictionary Attack

Cracking passwords by iterating words or phrases from a list (attacker’s dictionary), often with substitutions.

Brute Force Attack

Trying every possible password combination until success; longer passwords dramatically increase the time to crack.

Hybrid Attack

A combination of dictionary and brute-force methods using a custom keyword list to speed cracking.

RSA Key Fob

A small device that generates rotating codes used as a possession factor in login.

Smart Card

A physical card holding a digital certificate used as a possession factor (often with a PIN).

RFID Badge

A badge with an RFID tag used as a possession factor for authentication.

Password Strength Guidelines

Use a long, complex password with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols; a minimum of 12 characters is recommended.