What are the three main categories of authentication factors?

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The three main categories of authentication factors are:

Something You Know (Knowledge Factor)
- Passwords, PINs, security questions
- Passphrases, patterns
Something You Have (Possession Factor)
- Mobile phones, hardware tokens, smart cards
- SMS codes, authenticator apps
Something You Are (Inherence Factor)
- Biometric identifiers like fingerprints, facial recognition
- Voice recognition, iris scans, retinal patterns

True MFA requires at least two different categories, not just two factors from the same category (like password + security question).

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