Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security mechanism that requires more than one method of verification from independent categories of credentials to confirm a user's identity. The primary elements of MFA typically include:

1. Something the user knows (e.g., passwords or PINs).

2. Something the user has (e.g., security tokens, smart cards, or mobile phones).

3. Something the user is (e.g., biometric identifiers like fingerprints or facial recognition).

While "something the user does" might refer to behavioral biometrics (like the way a user types), it is not traditionally regarded as a primary element of multi-factor authentication. Instead, MFA focuses explicitly on the three distinct factors listed above to ensure that even if one factor is compromised, unauthorized access can still be prevented through the other factors.

This understanding underscores why the answer regarding "something the user does" is correct as it does not fit into the conventional framework of the primary categories used in multi-factor authentication.