Your mfa is now mfa-1
this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2024
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Privacy
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MFA - 1 = SFA
aka password login
MFA is not necessarily only 2 factors and single factor is not necessarily a password.
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.
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.
Only under the assumption that 2>=M>1
And that neither F nor A = 0
Worst thing? Someone with access to your password can now break into the associated account, and use that access to snoop or potentially permanently lock you out. E2EE data could be lost forever if they change the password and 2FA.
More likely? Unless you reuse passwords, or the associated site has been recently compromised, pretty low odds of compromise. If you suspect your 2FA has leaked, just get a new secret, easy peasy. Most reputable sites should alert you to a login on a new device, potentially giving you time to react or alerting you of snooping.
If your secret leaks without context on what site it's associated with, then unless your name is Taylor Swift, odds of someone associating it to a site, let alone the matching password, are astronomical.
Then your password (your other, "first" factor) is the only thing preventing an intruder impersonates you.
You'll still have to go through the hassle the now useless second factor puts you through, so you might as well update your second factor even if you trust your first to be very secure.
For accounts like Microsoft accounts, using a passwordless login you can login and take ownership of the account
Change it and be done