Are you sure that your accounts you log into on a daily basis are secure? You might have been hearing the phrases “I’ve been hacked” or “Data Breach at Company XYZ” being mentioned more commonly in these past few years. To prevent yourself and your organization from falling victim to cyberthieves, one way to be safer is by using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
MFA is a security mechanism developed to require more than one method of authentication and creates multiple layers of security. Basically when it is enabled, the user will have to provide a password and a second factor before being granted access. The three factors are based on:
- Who you are (Inheritance)
Ex: Fingerprints and Facial recognition - What you know (Knowledge)
Ex: Text Message sent with a code to the number an user has provided. - What you have (Possession)
Ex: Hardware Device which is the highest form of secondary authentication. This is unique to what the user has and is based on a physical reliance of having the key.
While we’re on the topic of authentication, you might be wondering what the difference between Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is. 2FA always requires two factors to verify the user’s identity whereas MFA requires at least two or more factors for authentication.
Want to get started with MFA? Many websites already support this security feature such as Amazon and Facebook. You will have to visit the settings in your account to enable this feature and set it up. This security feature can also be implemented for your Office 365 account through the Office 365 Admin portal to prevent phishing attempts. Contact TechOnSite and we can help your organization enable MFA for Office 365 and give you peace of mind that your identity is protected.
