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Authentication & MFA

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude · Cyber & Digital Safety

Useful for: IBPS Banking

Overview

Authentication verifies identity; multi-factor authentication combines two or more independent factors.

Key points

MFA uses at least two different factor types.
OTPs sent to a registered phone are "something you have".
Fingerprints and face recognition are "something you are".
Strong passwords mix letters, numbers and symbols and are not reused.
CAPTCHA distinguishes humans from automated bots.

Explanation

A password plus a security question is still one factor type (both "know").
Authorisation decides what an authenticated user may do.
Biometric data must be protected because it cannot be changed.
Lock accounts after repeated wrong attempts.

Step by step

Identify the term or device asked.
Recall its definition or function.
Eliminate options from other categories.

Examples

A fingerprint is → something you are.
An OTP sent to a mobile is → something you have.
The purpose of CAPTCHA → to tell humans from bots.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Calling password + PIN two-factor.
Trap: Mixing authentication and authorisation.
Trap: Reusing passwords.

Quick revision

Know / have / are.
MFA = two different types.
CAPTCHA vs bots.

Practice MCQs

Computer awareness: “backup” is best matched with:
1. Hypertext Transfer Protocol
2. application used to access web content
3. transforming data using a key to protect confidentiality
4. separate copy used for data recovery
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Answer: (d) separate copy used for data recovery. Backup” is best matched with separate copy used for data recovery.
MFA uses at least —
1. no password
2. two different factor types
3. two passwords
4. one PIN
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Answer: (b) two different factor types. Different types.
An OTP sent to your phone is —
1. something you have
2. something you are
3. none
4. something you know
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Answer: (a) something you have. Possession.
A fingerprint is —
1. something you are
2. a password
3. something you know
4. something you have
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Answer: (a) something you are. Biometric.
A password is —
1. something you are
2. a token
3. something you know
4. something you have
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Answer: (c) something you know. Knowledge.
CAPTCHA is used to —
1. distinguish humans from bots
2. encrypt files
3. speed up login
4. store passwords
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Answer: (a) distinguish humans from bots. Bot check.
A strong password should —
1. mix letters, numbers and symbols and not be reused
2. be your birth date
3. be short
4. be shared
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Answer: (a) mix letters, numbers and symbols and not be reused. Strong.
Using a password and a second password is —
1. strong MFA
2. biometric
3. tokenisation
4. not true MFA (same factor type)
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Answer: (d) not true MFA (same factor type). Same type.
Face recognition is a —
1. knowledge factor
2. possession factor
3. none
4. biometric factor
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Answer: (d) biometric factor. Something you are.
Reusing one password across sites —
1. increases risk
2. is safe
3. is required
4. improves security
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Answer: (a) increases risk. One breach exposes all.