1. Respond to other student Discussion Board providing additional insights, feedback and/or examples as applicable. Discussion Board of another student: It is almost impossible to fully secure an online or mobile account with just password. Data breaches ,malware, device theft, and myriad other methods can be used to compromise digital passwords, no matter how secure they are. That's why anyone with sensitive information or data protected by a password needs a second method of securing their account, hence two-factor authentication ( Vigliarolo, 2020). Two-factor authentication is a supplement to a digital password that, when used properly, makes it harder for a cybercriminal to access a compromised account. Two-factor authentication is also referred to as 2FA, two-step verification, login verification, and two-step authentication. Two factor authentication goes along with a password as second form of identity verification. How this works is upon successful login into an account with password user is prompted to either confirm their identity using a one-button push with a verification app or input a random security code from a text, email, push notification, or physical key. The second factor is, ideally, harder to spoof than a password; it requires something the legitimate user has physical access to, like a smartphone with a particular authenticator app installed, a linked phone number for a push notification or SMS authentication code, or a hardware security key, which leaves a hacker stuck even if they have the correct password to the account. some form of two factor authentications are biometrics like Touch ID , authenticator apps, SMS authentication, email authentication, or a physical security key to authenticate an account with an authentication code. Each method has its pros and cons, and two-factor authentication shouldn't be relied on to be the end-all, be-all of account security. Each of those methods can be cracked by someone with enough knowledge or drive. SMS and email authentication, easily the most ubiquitous, are also the most easily cracked. Text messages aren't secure and can be intercepted, and email accounts can be hacked. Anyone who has spent time online knows it's a bad idea to put all their security eggs in a single basket, and two-factor authentication is no exception. Couple years ago CNET reported RSA's physical security tokens were hacked, so even systems you think are secure (like random number generators) can be exploited. The biggest security hole in two-factor authentication, and the one most often exploited is social engineering. Social engineering is essentially people hacking instead of trying to break encryption, brute-force passwords, or crack RSA tokens a social engineer goes for the path of least resistance by phishing, pretexting, phone spoofing, or otherwise lying to extract information from people who don't realize they're giving up sensitive data to a person who shouldn't have it. Refere ...