Skip to main contentSkip to main content
Back to Glossary
CybersecurityMFA

Multi-Factor Authentication

An access-control method requiring two or more independent proofs of identity, such as a password plus a hardware token or biometric.

Multi-factor authentication strengthens access control by combining factors from different categories — something you know, something you have, and something you are — so that compromising one factor is not enough to gain access.

It is one of the most effective controls against credential theft and is a baseline expectation for privileged access to mission and ground systems under modern cybersecurity frameworks.