An extra layer of security for your logins.
Implementing multi factor authentication drastically increases the level of security for any login you use it with.
If you’re still relying on a simple username and password for security, you’re putting your business at risk. This method of security isn’t actually checking that the person accessing a system is who they say they are, it’s only checking of they have the right username and password. They could have guessed the password, stolen it, or seen it over someone’s shoulder.
What Is Multi Factor Authentication?
Multi-factor authentication (also referred to as MFA, two-factor authentication, or 2FA) is the process of using a piece of information to gain access to an account or device in addition to the standard username and password combination. This could take the form of a short numerical code either sent to your mobile device by SMS, a code generated by an app on your phone or a physical device like a USB key.
What Are The Advantages Of Multi-Factor Authentication?
Multi-factor authentication dramatically increases the security of any system you use it to protect. This is because with MFA enabled, an attacker would not be able to gain access to your account even if they knew your username and password. In order to gain access, they would need that information as well as physical control of your mobile device.
MFA codes are almost always time-sensitive and will be invalid after a few minutes. This means that a hacker would not only need physical control of your device, but they would need it at the exact moment they were trying access your account.
What Are The Different Types of Multi Factor Authentication?
- App Generated Code (Our Recommended Method)
Our recommended method for MFA is to use a dedicated app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. These allow you to generate a new, unique code every 30 seconds. A large number of applications and services across the web are compatible with these MFA authentication apps and they offer the most secure method of multi-factor authentication. - USB Key
This is more commonly used to gain access to hardware devices or to software installed on your machine rather than for accessing online services. The USB key acts like a physical house key – meaning that unless it is inserted into the secured device’s USB port you will not be able to gain access. The advantage of this method of MFA is that it is entirely physical and almost impossible to overcome without having physical access to your USB key. The disadvantage is that much like a house key or a car key, if you lose it, you’ll be locked out until a replacement arrives. - SMS Code
Using this method, upon entering your correct username and password, a code is sent to your phone number. After you receive the text, you can enter the code within the next few minutes and will be granted access to your account.
The advantage of this method is that is the simplest of the three. However, being the easiest, it is also the least secure, as a hacker could clone your SIM card and receive the text messages instead, or they could call up your mobile phone provider and trick them into forwarding your texts to a new number by impersonating you.
How Can Carden IT Services Help You?
We can help guide you through the process of implementing and setting up MFA for your accounts. For customers who are using Microsoft Office 365, we can implement Office 365 conditional access controls which will force MFA to be enabled, and our cyber-defence team will also get automated alerts if anyone attempts to disable it. In the event of one of these automated alerts, our team will follow up with a call to the team member who tried to disable the MFA and check whether it was really them, and why this was.
Implementing multi factor authentication is a key part of our managed cyber-defence services. If you’d like to secure your business’s technology, speak to our team today.