What is MFA?
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security system that requires you to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource such as an online account, application, or VPN. than one form of identification at the time of login to ensure you are who you claim to be.
Why do I need an MFA?
Cybercriminals have billions of stolen credentials to choose from. If they choose yours, they could take over your health care records, bank accounts, company secrets, and more. Multi-factor authentication is important, as it makes stealing your information harder for the average criminal
Cyber Criminals can guess credentials using a variety of methods such as:
Example of MFA
You sign into your account, you then enter your username and password. If that’s all you need to do to authenticate then anybody, anywhere, who knows your username and password can sign in as you. This is not good!
If you have multifactor authentication enabled, then the first time you sign in on a device or app you enter your username and password as usual, but then you will get prompted to enter your second factor to verify your identity. This could be Microsoft or Google authenticator on your mobile device in which you would then enter a 6-digit number. You will have then completed the authentication process.
MFA plays a crucial part in your IT security strategy. Not only does multi-factor authentication verify that authorized users have access to sensitive data, but it also deters Cybercriminals who often take advantage of weak and simple passwords to infiltrate accounts.