Two-factor authentication (2FA)
A second, different check, like a one-time code, on top of your password.
For example
Turning on 2FA for WhatsApp and email means a stolen password alone isn't enough.
Learn it through a story
- The Password That Guarded Nothing (Cybersecurity for Juniors 1, Ch 1)
Short on time? Read the 5-minute version.
Related terms
- TLS certificate A credential proving a server's identity and enabling encrypted connections.
- Too-good-to-be-true offer Something valuable offered for nothing, with no real reason given.
- Trigger The secret signal, like the yellow sticker, that activates a backdoor.
- Typosquatting A web address built to look almost exactly like a real one.
- Unsolicited download A file that arrives or installs without being properly requested.
- Untrusted data Content from outside that might contain tricks.