What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Spread the loveMulti-Factor Authentication, similar to Two-Factor Authentication, is a way to further protect you, your business, and employees from the threats of cybercrime. With the ever-rising rate of hacking and and data breaches, it’s more crucial than ever to safeguard your sensitive information. It’s no longer enough to just have a strong password. This
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Multi-Factor Authentication, similar to Two-Factor Authentication, is a way to further protect you, your business, and employees from the threats of cybercrime. With the ever-rising rate of hacking and and data breaches, it’s more crucial than ever to safeguard your sensitive information. It’s no longer enough to just have a strong password. This is where MFA comes into play. Let’s break it down: What is Multi-Factor Authentication? MFA is a second layer of security that you can use for your email logins, device logins, and many other places that you store sensitive information. It’s usually broken down into three concepts:
  •     Things you know (knowledge), such as a password or PIN
  •     Things you have (possession), such as a badge or smartphone
  •     Things you are (inheritance), indicated through biometrics, like fingerprints or voice recognition¹
The combinations of the three above concepts work to create a more personalized layer of security for your devices. You may have seen these in use when you forget your email password and Google or Yahoo sends you an authentication code via text to your phone, or if you have the newer iPhone, they use biometrics like facial recognition to make sure it’s really you, and not just someone who has your passcode. Those examples above help you in your personal life, but what about your work life? Often times it’s not only your personal information at risk when you or your whole business gets hacked. All of your coworkers and your clients get affected as well. Too many times we see breaches that could have been prevented if something as simple as multi-factor authentication was implemented. The main idea of Multi-factor Authentication is to force hackers or bad actors to work harder to gain access to your data in the event that they get your password through breaches of other companies like Yahoo!, or Google. When they try to log into your account they will be forced to prove who they are through Multi-factor Authentication and they won’t have that additional access to your device to log in. How Do I Use It? MFA is simple to use. There’s multiple options to choose from such as text verification, phone calls, and the Microsoft Authenticator app. Based on your settings, when you log into an Office 365 application you’ll be asked to enter a 6 digit code to verify your login. Here is a document explaining the setup process. After you enable MFA you may be prompted to log in and authenticate some of your accounts again. Most Microsoft products fall under this requirement including your Desktop Outlook, One Drive for Business, Teams, Sharepoint, and the Office 365 Portal (For OWA or any other Office 365 Features). How Do I Get MFA? Is the fear of a data breach on your mind lately? The good news is that if you have Office 365, you likely already have access to Multi-Factor Authentication. If you’re interested in MFA, call us at (201) 796-0404 and we’d be happy to set it up for you. Source: https://www.onelogin.com/learn/what-is-mfa¹

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Written by Guy Baroan 
By: Guy Baroan