How do Two-factor authentication (2FA) work? Why does it not work for all online purchase transactions?
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simplest way to think of it
Think of how a safe has a key. You need the key to get in the safe.
A thief could steal the key. Then THEY could get in the safe.
It would be a lot harder for a thief to get in the safe if there were 2 separate keys, stored in 2 separate places. It wouldn’t be impossible. It would just be harder.
Like stealing a key from your pocket then going all the way to your house and stealing the other key from your nightstand cause I need both keys, is harder than just stealing one right?
2FA is like that. Except instead of 2 keys in 2 places, its 2 keys in 2 contexts.
So like, a password and a key card. I’d have to guess your password AND get possession of the physical card.
Or a password and phone text app. I’d have to guess the password AND get physical possession of your phone.
some versions of 2fa are stronger than others, because some types of 2FA allow people to pair up. Basically keeping the keys together. That defeats the purpose.
Like, a phone text proves that you have the phone, but if the password is also stored on the phone, then you still only have to steal one thing.
(Or like an ATM card is two things. Something you have, the card. and something you know, the pin. BUT if you are dumb and write the pin ON the card, you’re turn 2FA back into 1FA.)
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