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SY0-501 · Question #209

SY0-501 Question #209: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is B: Fingerprint and password. Multifactor authentication (MFA) requires at least two distinct authentication factors from different categories to verify a user's identity. The combination of a fingerprint and a password meets this requirement by utilizing a biometric and a knowledge factor.

Submitted by asante_acc· Mar 4, 2026

Question

Which of the following would meet the requirements for multifactor authentication?

Options

  • AUsername, PIN, and employee ID number
  • BFingerprint and password
  • CSmart card and hardware token
  • DVoice recognition and retina scan

Explanation

Multifactor authentication (MFA) requires at least two distinct authentication factors from different categories to verify a user's identity. The combination of a fingerprint and a password meets this requirement by utilizing a biometric and a knowledge factor.

Common mistakes.

  • A. This combination only utilizes factors from the 'something you know' category (PIN and employee ID), failing to incorporate at least two different factor types required for true multifactor authentication.
  • C. Both a smart card and a hardware token fall under the 'something you have' authentication factor, thus not providing two distinct types of factors for multifactor authentication.
  • D. Both voice recognition and retina scan are biometric factors, falling under the 'something you are' category, which means this combination does not provide distinct authentication factor types.

Concept tested. Multifactor authentication (MFA) factor categories

Reference. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks

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