That was Then... This is Now

You most certainly have heard of it and probably use it all the time. Simply put, it’s a method of verifying electronically that it’s “really you.” Unlike many years ago, a single password today is no longer considered secure enough to access most accounts or engage in a transaction. What you need is a second way to verify yourself. That's why many Internet services use two-factor authentication. Sometimes you will see it referred to as 2FA. Two factor authentication allows you to securely access an account, a trusted device (like a phone), or a website. You will need to provide two pieces of information. Typically these are a password that you enter as well as a six-digit verification code that's sent to your phone or other “trusted device.” By entering this code, you're verifying that you are indeed “you.” According to security analyst Neil J. Rubenking "there are three generally recognized factors for authentication: something you know (such as a password), som...