Multi-Factor Authentication

What is Multi-Factor Authentication?

What is Multi-Factor Authentication is an electronic authentication method in which a user is granted access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism: knowledge, possession, and inherence

What MFA does Moodle support?

There is a third-party plugin called A2FA (Another 2-Factor Auth)

https://moodle.org/plugins/auth_a2fa

How does it work?

This plugin is to allow users to have 2-step authentication. It uses time-based tokens that expire every 60 seconds. This plugin uses Google Authenticator app to get the tokens. 

What this means

You Moodle users will need an app installed on their phone, and each time they login, they will need to read a code from their phone screen and enter this code alongside their username and password

Pros and cons

• Secure solution and ensures that even if a password is compromised, then the attacker can't get in without the phone code.
• Would mean that ALL users, admins and learners would need to use it.
• Might be overkill for a Moodle site. It's not a banking site.
• Could be annoying for users and means without the app or phone, you can't login.
• It's a trade off between enhanced security and practical usage.