Over the years in which users could access computers, systems, and networks, user authentication systems evolved from nearly nothing to combining multiple identity factors. This started with requiring user identity codes, then a secret password entered with the username, and now combining two or more identity factors. All of these levels had one primary purpose—to verify the identity of a user seeking access, as certainly as possible.
MFA
Passwords
Perhaps the first password, at least the first one written about, was the voice command used by Ali Baba to access a treasure—open sesame. At one time, a user account or identity code served the purpose of identifying who was accessing a system, which was typically...