What is Adaptive MFA? | IBM

By now, most of us have used multifactor authentication (MFA) at one point or another. MFA adds extra security requirements to your accounts by requiring you to prove your identity by using additional authentication methods. Like single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA), MFA falls under the authentication pillar of identity and access management (IAM). Instead of the traditional method of just relying on a password, you’ll typically need two or more factors to log in. These factors fall into three main categories:

1. Something you know, such as a password or the answer to a security question.
2. Something you have, such as a smartphone, a security token or even a physical key (think a Yubi key on a USB drive).
3. Something you are—specifically, biometric data from a fingerprint or facial scan.

For example, you might be asked to enter your password (knowledge), then an SMS code is sent to your phone (something you have), or to scan your fingerprint (something you…