What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 authentications?
Authentication is very crucial component of information security. It helps to avert many cybersecurity attacks in collaboration with other security controls such as access controls, encryption, firewalls, and so on concepts.
Authentication is a means to prove the identity of entities using different mechanism. Moreover, there are three major types of authentication factors. These are something you know(type 1), something you have (type 2) and something you are (type 3) factors.
The difference mainly between type 1 and type 2 authentications is: Type 1 or something you know is something the entity know whereas type 2 or something you have is something the entity possesses. So, the key differentiators between the two will be knowing vs possessing something.
Something you know (type 1) authentication includes passwords, PINs, passphrases, etc.
Whereas something you have (type 2) authentication comprises of ownership of physical or logical objects such as smartcards, keys, smart phones, USB drives, tokens, etc.