{"id":26268,"date":"2022-04-17T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-17T09:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/perseus.de\/two-factor-authentication\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T13:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:31:09","slug":"two-factor-authentication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/perseus.de\/en\/two-factor-authentication\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-factor authentication"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Two-factor authentication<\/span>
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Two-factor authentication (2FA)<\/strong> is a security procedure in which two independent characteristics (\u2018factors\u2019) are verified during login to uniquely confirm a user\u2019s identity. It offers significantly greater protection than a simple password. <\/p>

<\/h3>

What does that mean in detail?<\/h3>

To access an account or system, two of the following three factors<\/strong> must be combined:<\/p>

  1. Knowledge <\/strong>\u2013 something that only the person knows (e.g. password, PIN)<\/p><\/li>

  2. Possession <\/strong>\u2013 something that only the person possesses (e.g. smartphone, token, smartcard)<\/p><\/li>

  3. Biometrics <\/strong>\u2013 something that is unique to the individual (e.g. fingerprint, facial recognition)<\/p><\/li><\/ol>

    <\/p>

    A typical example: logging in with a password and <\/strong>a one-time code sent via an app or text message.<\/p>

    <\/h3>

    Why do you need 2FA?<\/h3>

    Passwords alone often do not provide sufficient protection \u2013 they can be guessed, stolen or exposed through data breaches. Two-factor authentication (2FA) prevents an attacker from gaining access using a stolen password alone. <\/p>

    <\/h3>

    Where do I come across this in my day-to-day work at an SME?<\/h3>

    • When accessing cloud services<\/strong> such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or DATEV<\/p><\/li>

    • When logging in to the company network via VPN<\/p><\/li>

    • When accessing admin interfaces<\/strong>, e.g. servers, email accounts, CRM systems<\/p><\/li>

    • When using tools for managing customer data or sensitive information<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

      <\/h3>

      Benefits for your business<\/h3>

      • Protection against unauthorised access<\/strong>, even if passwords are leaked<\/p><\/li>

      • Easy to set up <\/strong>using authenticator apps, SMS or hardware tokens<\/p><\/li>

      • Recommended by data protection authorities<\/strong> and cybersecurity experts<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

        <\/p>

        Two-factor authentication is one of the most effective and, at the same time, cost-effective measures for improving the security of IT systems in SMEs \u2013 particularly when it comes to sensitive applications and data.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/header>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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        \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Two-factor authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security procedure in which two independent characteristics (\u2018factors\u2019) are verified during login to uniquely confirm a user\u2019s identity. It offers significantly greater protection than a simple password. What does that mean in detail? To access an account or system, two of the following three factors must be combined: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cyber-glossary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTwo-factor authentication - Perseus Technologies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/perseus.de\/en\/two-factor-authentication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Two-factor authentication - Perseus Technologies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two-factor authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security procedure in which two independent characteristics (\u2018factors\u2019) are verified during login to uniquely confirm a user\u2019s identity. It offers significantly greater protection than a simple password. What does that mean in detail? 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