2FA SMSs: Influence of Cybersecurity Behavior & OTP Message Content on Security2FA SMSs: Influence of Cybersecurity Behavior & OTP Message Content on Security

Two-factor authentication or 2FA for short is a common security measure used to verify one’s identity. One method of 2FA is the use of SMS messages, called 2FA SMSs, containing a token as the second form of authentication. Although 2FA SMSs are widely used and accepted as a form of 2FA, it has multiple vulnerabilities which may be exploited through different schemes and methods in order to bypass 2FA. This paper conducts a survey to elaborate on the contents of 2FA SMSs and uses quantitative data analysis to investigate the relationship between an individual’s cybersecurity knowledge/behavior and susceptibility to 2FA via SMS security breach.