What Is A Multi-Factor Authentication?? Here’s What You Need To Know

Here’s what you need to know about Multi Factor Authentications.

Nowadays, data is one of the biggest concerns for anyone, or any business. Any business has tons of data at their disposal, any business, especially those who engaged in the digital sector, whether it's transactions, knowledge, how-to, comms, their consumer data, etc. It is important to keep a lock to those data at all time. 

One of the best ways to secure it is using multi-factor authentications. it will add another layer of security to your devices, data, any account or infrastructure. Basically, it uses multiple credentials for identity and access management. There are few reasons that we need MFA

• As of today, identity theft is a growing threat - Identity theft is a fairly common, simple, low-risk, high-reward type of crime that poses a significant risk to all businesses. Password theft is evolving as hackers use methods such as keylogging, phishing, and pharming. As a result, it is a requirement in these times.
• Your anti-virus is not enough. Anti-virus software and advanced firewalls, as well as vulnerability testing, are essential security components. However, without authentication, your system is vulnerable to intruders.
• They will not simply take your data - Cybercriminals do more than just steal information. They frequently destroy data, alter programs or services, or use servers to send propaganda, spam, or malicious code. MFA aids in the prevention of all of these.
• And for now, Multi-Factor Authentication is already widely used. People are used to authentication procedures in both their personal and professional lives. MFA has been quickly adopted by social media, banking, gaming, and email platforms. Bringing it into your workplace is no longer an option, but rather a necessary security precaution.

The only distinction between MFA and 2FA is the number of security layers. Two-factor authentication or 2FA always uses two distinct factors to validate the user's identity. It’s usually as a One Time Password or OTP before you logged in. In contrast to that, Multi-Factor Authentication may involve two or more of the factors. The term "multi-factor" simply refers to any number of factors greater than one. A multi-factor authentication system that adapts would add security layers until the login attempt did not appear suspicious. And it’s is generally divided into three categories:

• Something that only you know, such as password, pin or a set of questions and its answer.
• Something that you have, for an example is a security key.
• Something that is you, a fingerprint or face recognition.

In order to access something, a file or folder or somewhere, you will be required to provide the aforementioned credentials in order to prove their identity to the system. That’s why it can make the system safer by doing these precautions.

With all that reason of why you should set up MFA and what kind of MFA you can use, doesn’t mean there are no pro and cons of it. Here are some pro and cons of using MFA

Pro

• Protects sensitive information: Your company is likely to have a large amount of private and sensitive user data, such as phone numbers, addresses, and payment option details for both customers and employees. Using a Multi-Factor Authentication system ensures that all of this information is secure.
• Extremely safe: If a hacker obtains a user's password to a system, they cannot gain access unless they have the token (which the user has) and, of course, the biometric scans. As a result, it is extremely secure.
• Devices misplaced? It's not a problem: A lost, stolen, or misplaced device without MFA could cause havoc in the IT department. Device-based Multi-Factor Authentication ensures that lost devices do not compromise your data.

Cons:

• Blocked access: You cannot be granted access to a specific application or system if you have not set up backup resources for authenticating user access. So a misplaced item or an injured finger (for biometrics) would require you to rush to the IT guys or risk having your login attempt flagged.
• MFA can be expensive if an organization uses a solution that requires on-premise hardware installation and integration with existing identity solutions.
• Time-consuming for both setup the MFA and to log in: The time it takes to log in to your system and confirm using a mobile device can be inconvenient, especially if you're in a hurry.

And it’s not just a theory, big companies already implemented it such as google. The account takeover effectively drop to zero. The system works, MFA do its job excellently.

The most important thing you should take away from this article is that you should use MFA whenever you need it. While some forms of MFA are more secure than others, the most important thing is to find one that works for you and to use it.