What security process requires users to provide multiple forms of identification?

The security process that requires users to provide multiple forms of identification is multi-factor authentication. This method enhances security by combining two or more different factors to verify a user’s identity before granting access to systems or data. These factors typically fall into three categories: something the user knows (like a password), something the user has (like a smartphone app for a one-time code), and something the user is (biometric data, such as a fingerprint).

By employing multi-factor authentication, organizations significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, as an attacker would need to compromise multiple forms of identification rather than just one. This layered approach to security is crucial in protecting sensitive information in today’s landscape of increasing cyber threats.

Authentication, while related, refers to the overall process of verifying a user's identity but does not explicitly imply the use of multiple forms of identification. Authorization, on the other hand, deals with permissions granted to authenticated users to access resources, and accounting refers to tracking user activities and access on a system, neither of which directly represents the concept of requiring multiple identification forms.