CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002)Governance, Risk, Compliance and SecurityEasy
A bank requires customers to log in to its mobile banking app using their password and then enter a one-time numeric code generated by an authenticator app on their smartphone. Which authentication factor category does the one-time code represent?
- ASomething you are
- BSomething you know
- CSomewhere you are
- DSomething you have
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Something you have
The one-time code is generated by a physical device the user possesses (their smartphone with an authenticator app), making it a 'something you have' factor, distinct from the password, which is 'something you know.'
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Inherence factors involve biometrics like fingerprints, not codes generated by a device.
- B. The password already covers the knowledge factor; the code is a separate possession-based factor.
- C. Location-based factors involve GPS or network location, not a generated numeric code.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Factors
Authentication categories used to verify identity, combining two or more independent factors to strengthen security beyond a single password.
- Knowledge factor: something you know, like a password
- Possession factor: something you have, like a token or phone
- Inherence factor: something you are, like a fingerprint
Memory trick: KIP: Know it, have IT, be it - three ways to prove who you are