The first factor is something you know (generally, your password), while the second factor is something you have or something about you (most commonly biometrics, security questions, or a code sent to your smartphone). Two-factor authentication – also known as multi-factor authentication (MFA) – is designed to give you added security by requiring two distinct forms of identification before granting you access to something. What is Two-Factor Authentication and how does it work?

We have the steps you need to master 2FA below, but first, let’s cover the basics. In fact, there are a number of common problems users face. Having a second factor – typically a text message sent to your phone or, better still, a random six digit number created by an Authenticator application on your mobile means that even if your password is compromised and someone finds out what it is they can’t login without the random six digit number.If you’ve been having problems with Microsoft Office 365 two-factor authentication (2FA), don’t stress – you’re not alone. If you’d like to find out where YOUR email address has been compromised then you can look this up against a database of known breaches at In short, keeping your password safe and secure is a lot more problematic than you might otherwise think.

In addition to these breaches, there is an entire industry of criminal gangs, phishing for your email password so that they can use this to assume your identity and commit fraud. In addition to these known numbers, there will have been many more unpublished or unknown breaches. Over the years, there have been countless published breaches of high profile websites where literally billions of emails and passwords have been compromised.

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