Data encryption concept with a screen full of hexadecimal information and padlock symbol

The importance of cybersecurity cannot be overlooked today. If you do a quick search online for data breaches that have happened over the past decade, you will be astounded. There have been many huge data breaches, with some resulting in businesses having to shut down indefinitely.

The reason a lot of these data breaches have happened is because of poor quality cybersecurity measures. The best online security strategies are multi-layered; they involve using a different number of security efforts to ensure that businesses are fully protected from top to bottom.

MFA: Your Extra Layer of Security

One of the important security techniques that you need to put in place is multi-factor authentication (MFA), which is also known as two-factor authentication (2FA). Read on to find out everything you need to know about it.

Multi-factor authentication is a simple yet highly effective way of adding security to the accounts of your workforce on a daily basis. It can help to prevent common vulnerabilities, such as orphaned credentials on public devices, shared credentials, brute force hacks, and reused passwords.

How MFA Works

As we live in a highly connected environment today, more of our business life and personal life is moving online, which means we have to make an even greater effort to protect our confidential data.

Think of how many accounts you have online, and consequently, how many passwords we need to remember. A lot, right? Because of this, we end up generating passwords that are simple and easy to remember. However, when we do this, it means that we are creating passwords that are easy to guess and easy to breach. This means that the chance of a security breach increases. 

This is where multi-factor authentication comes in; this is a tactic that will add another layer of security, meaning a password is not all that is required for access to be granted. Instead, an extra piece of information will be required. 

In many cases, a code will be sent to the individual’s mobile phone, and they will then need to input this information. Of course, there are other approaches that can be used, depending on the device and the system. You may need to input a security number, for instance, or you could use your fingerprint or facial recognition to gain access. The aim here is to make sure that we are not only relying on passwords but that we have another layer of security that makes it incredibly difficult for anyone unauthorized to get access.

MFA for Businesses

Businesses may choose to work with an experienced company providing St. Louis IT services in order to get MFA rolled out smoothly. Although it is very simple to use, a professional can help you integrate it into all your platforms to ensure that every area of your business is protected.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what multi-factor authentication is and why it is so important for businesses today.