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submitted 5 months ago by humuhumu@lemm.ee to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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[-] Syn_Attck@lemmy.today 1 points 5 months ago

MFA - 1 = SFA

aka password login

[-] Album@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

MFA is not necessarily only 2 factors and single factor is not necessarily a password.

[-] Syn_Attck@lemmy.today 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Sucks that I have to preface but people can be jumpy here. This is genuine curiosity, I'm actually asking, because it's really probably something I should already know. Can you explain the nuance to me please?


My understanding, speaking mostly of apps/websites, I know jobs can be much different:

Most places have the first factor as a password.

First factor (or "login") = username+password pair.

For the longest time that was all there was, "your login" was just a login, which meant a username and password combination. Then 2FA/MFA ("2 factor authentication / multi-factor authentication") came along in the form of username+password combo plus SMS/email/Google Authenticator/Yubikey/etc to verify as the 2nd form of authentication. You can have 3FA 4FA 5FA whatever if you want and if it's supported by the app/website. So 2FA is MFA, but MFA is not necessarily 2FA.

I know jobs can be set up a lot differently.

[-] Album@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yeah, that's basically right. With an opening line like mine (a formula), we're basically dealing in typical reddit/lemmy pedanticism.

I (somewhat ironically now) specifically chose the words MFA over 2fa when saying "mfa-1" as to be most encompassing from the get go because yes:

  • the truest definition of MFA is =>2
  • there are cases where the factors are multiple things you have and/or are (like private keys and pass keys, and biometrics)

i do agree the 1st factor in a situation where its multiple factors is generally and common practice to be something you know.

[-] Grippler@feddit.dk 1 points 5 months ago

Only under the assumption that 2>=M>1

[-] cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 months ago

And that neither F nor A = 0

this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2024
30 points (85.7% liked)

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