What is multi-factor authentication?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an extra layer of security used to make sure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are. (You may already use MFA for online banking or when accessing other sensitive information online.) With MFA, you must provide another piece of information after signing in with your username and password. This second factor is commonly a random code sent to your phone or generated in a dedicated authenticator app. This makes it harder for potential unauthorized users to access your accounts because knowing the password alone is not enough to gain access.