CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)SecurityEasy
A company requires employees to insert a physical smart card into a reader in addition to entering a PIN to log into their workstations. The smart card represents which authentication factor?
- ASomething you know
- BSomething you have
- CSomething you are
- DSomewhere you are
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Something you have
A smart card is a physical object the user must possess, making it a 'something you have' factor. Combined with a PIN (something you know), this creates multifactor authentication.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Something you know refers to knowledge-based factors like PINs or passwords.
- C. Something you are refers to biometrics like fingerprints.
- D. Somewhere you are refers to location-based authentication, not a physical item.
MFA Factor: Something You Have
An authentication factor based on physical possession of an item, such as a smart card, security token, or authenticator app on a phone.
- Examples: smart card, hardware token, phone with authenticator app
- Combined with knowledge/biometric factors for MFA
- Lost item can be a security risk
Memory trick: Know it, Have it, Are it, Are-there it.