312-50V10 · Question #297
Which set of access control solutions implements two-factor authentication?
The correct answer is A. USB token and PIN. True two-factor authentication requires credentials drawn from two distinct categories - something you know, something you have, or something you are.
Question
Which set of access control solutions implements two-factor authentication?
Options
- AUSB token and PIN
- BFingerprint scanner and retina scanner
- CPassword and PIN
- DAccount and password
How the community answered
(54 responses)- A91% (49)
- B2% (1)
- C2% (1)
- D6% (3)
Why each option
True two-factor authentication requires credentials drawn from two distinct categories - something you know, something you have, or something you are.
A USB token belongs to the 'something you have' category (a physical possession factor), while a PIN belongs to the 'something you know' category (a knowledge factor), placing them in two separate authentication factor types. Combining factors from different categories satisfies the definition of multi-factor authentication, providing stronger security because compromising one factor type does not automatically compromise the other. This is the only option in the list that spans two distinct factor categories.
A fingerprint scanner and a retina scanner are both biometric 'something you are' factors, making this single-factor authentication despite using two separate biometric devices.
Both a password and a PIN are 'something you know' knowledge-based credentials, so combining them represents single-factor authentication using two instances of the same factor type.
An account name and a password are both knowledge-based 'something you know' factors, providing only single-factor authentication regardless of how they are presented together.
Concept tested: Two-factor authentication factor categories
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/multi_factor_authentication
Topics
Community Discussion
No community discussion yet for this question.