Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - Why is it important?
You have probably heard the term MFA or 2FA being thrown around, as many popular applications and websites force the use of having a “second factor” to protect your account.
So, what exactly is Multi-Factor Authentication?
Simply put – It’s a combination of 3 key factors, which provides an additional protection on top of your traditional password:
- Something you know: Your password
- Something you have: Your phone (Usually an authenticator app)
- Something you are: A form of biometrics used to unlock your phone, like fingerprint or face ID
Multi-Factor Authentication means that even if the bad guys get your password, they cannot login without you personally approving it from your phone.
Now that you know what MFA is and why it’s important, what can you do to protect yourself?
The most important places to have MFA are any internet facing applications that contain sensitive data. The largest attack surfaces being Office 365 and Remote Access.
Office 365
You can protect Office 365 by enforcing MFA policies – This is something Microsoft lets you use for free. It’s simple and easy to implement.
When you are logging into a new device, or from a new location, after entering your password you will be asked to enter the digits shown on your screen, on your mobile device like so:
Remote Access
You can protect Remote Access like Remote Desktop or VPN using a 3rd party MFA provider like Cisco DUO.
When you login to your Remote Desktop or VPN, after entering your password you will be asked to accept a push notification, on your mobile device like so:
In Summary
More than 99.9% of account compromises are not using MFA. It’s one of the best things you can do to increase your cyber security posture and add additional protection to your sensitive data.