Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a method of verifying a user’s identity by requiring two or more factors, such as something the user knows (e.g. password), something the user has (e.g. token), or something the user is (e.g. biometric). MFA can prevent or mitigate some common types of cyberattacks that rely on stealing or guessing a user’s credentials, such as phishing and brute force attacks12

Phishing is an attack where an attacker sends a fraudulent email or message that appears to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or a government agency, and tries to trick the user into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, or providing their credentials or personal information34 MFA can prevent phishing attacks by requiring an additional factor of authentication that the attacker cannot obtain from the phishing email or message, such as a one-time password (OTP) sent to the user’s phone or email, or a biometric verification such as a fingerprint or face scan56

Brute force is an attack where an attacker tries to guess a user’s password by systematically trying different combinations of characters, words, or phrases until they find the correct one. MFA can prevent brute force attacks by requiring an additional factor of authentication that the attacker cannot guess, such as a physical token or a push notification that the user has to approve.

 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 course overview 2: What Type of Attacks Does MFA Prevent? | OneLogin 3: 5 Multi-Factor Authentication Vulnerabilities and How to Resolve Them 4: FBI warns about attacks that bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) 5: Defend your users from MFA fatigue attacks - Microsoft Community Hub 6: What type of attacks does Multi-Factor Authentication prevent? : How to Prevent Brute Force Attacks | Cloudflare : Brute Force Attack - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics : Multi-factor authentication - Wikipedia : Multi-factor authentication fatigue attacks are on the rise: How to defend against them | CSO Online