Enhance your data security with Multi-Factor Authentication

Globalization has made it easier for people to connect using multiple devices in today’s digitally interconnected world. However, this has also created a new threat to cybersecurity, commonly known as cybercrime, where hackers can steal valuable information from users and organizations by gaining access to their devices. To combat this threat, multi-factor authentication has emerged as a reliable solution, providing an additional layer of security that requires more than just a password to verify a user’s identity.

Multi-factor authentication is a security process involving multiple authentication factors to protect both the user’s credentials and the resources they have access. It includes three commonly used factors: knowledge, possession, and inherence or biometric factors, which provide additional layers of defence against unauthorized access and online fraud.

Typically, when a user logs into a website, they are only required to enter their username and password. However, this can be risky, as compromised passwords cause a majority of data breaches. With multi-factor authentication, an extra step is added to the login process, requiring the user to confirm their identity in an additional way, such as through an app on their mobile device, SMS or call using their cell phone, a security token, an encrypted USB drive, a key fob, or a physical card that a card reader reads.

The benefits of multi-factor authentication are many, including that it makes attacks on remote internet connections less threatening and provides an additional layer of defence against unauthorized access to user information. It has become more important as the number of password exploits continues to rise, and it is worth the hassle, especially for businesses that need better ways to protect user login information beyond the simple username and password combination. Organizations can take major steps to prevent data exploitation and phishing attacks by adopting multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication is a security process that requires users to provide multiple forms of authentication to verify their identity.

This additional security measure helps protect the user’s credentials and the resources they have access. With most attacks originating from remote Internet connections, multi-factor authentication makes these attacks less threatening. More than obtaining passwords alone is required for access, and an attacker would likely be able to obtain the second authentication factor associated with a user account.

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There are three commonly used authentication factors: the knowledge factor (such as a username and password, a PIN, or security questions), the possession factor (such as a smartphone, one-time passcode, or a smart card), and the inherence or biometric factor (such as a fingerprint lock, iris scans, or voice recognition).
When logging into a website, a username and password are typically required. While this may be secure if strong login credentials are used, there are potential risks. According to a report by Verizon Data Breach Investigations, compromised passwords cause 81 per cent of data breaches. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra level of security, requiring an additional step to the login process.

There are multiple ways to confirm identity with two-factor authentication, such as an app on a mobile device, SMS or call using a cell phone, a security token, an encrypted USB drive, a key fob, or a physical card read by a card reader.

As the number of password exploits continues to rise, multi-factor authentication has become increasingly important and is now being adopted by businesses and popular applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, and Apple. While there is no guaranteed way to protect data, multi-factor authentication significantly strengthens defence and is worth the added hassle. Businesses should take major steps to prevent data exploitation and phishing attacks by implementing better ways to protect user login information beyond the simple username and password combination.