Understanding Two-Factor Authentication
Question
Which of the following is true of two-factor authentication?
Answers
Explanations
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A. B. C. D.The Answer: It relies on two independent proofs of identity.
Two-factor authentication refers to using two independent proofs of identity, such as something the.
user has (e.g.
a token card) and something the user knows (a password).Two-factor authentication may be used with single sign-on.
The following answers are incorrect: It requires two measurements of hand geometry.
Measuring hand geometry twice does not yield two independent proofs.
It uses the RSA public-key signature based on integers with large prime factors.
RSA encryption uses integers with exactly two prime factors, but the term "two- factor authentication" is not used in that context.
It does not use single sign-on technology.
This is a detractor.
The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question: Shon Harris AIO v.3 p.129 - ISC2 OIG, 2007 p.
126
D. Two-factor authentication (2FA) relies on two independent proofs of identity.
Explanation:
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security mechanism that requires two different forms of identification to verify the user's identity. The goal is to make it harder for an unauthorized person to gain access to a user's account, even if they have obtained the user's password.
Option A is incorrect because RSA public-key signature is a form of encryption used to secure communication, but it is not directly related to 2FA.
Option B is incorrect because hand geometry is a biometric form of authentication, but it is not the only way to implement 2FA.
Option C is incorrect because single sign-on technology is a separate concept from 2FA. Single sign-on technology allows a user to authenticate once and then access multiple applications without having to re-enter their credentials.
Therefore, option D is the correct answer because it correctly defines 2FA as relying on two independent proofs of identity. These proofs can come from different categories of authentication factors, such as something the user knows (e.g., password), something the user has (e.g., smart card), or something the user is (e.g., biometric data). By requiring two factors, 2FA provides an extra layer of security and makes it harder for attackers to compromise the user's account.
