Why your business needs Multi-Factor Authentication like yesterday
Have you noticed that many of your accounts now require extra steps before you can login? Access is no longer granted by simply providing an email and password; you also need a code generated by an app, telephone or email to gain full access. Welcome to the world of Multi-Factor Authentication, also known as MFA or 2-Factor Authentication. MFA usually uses three things in order to verify who you say you are. In short, it consists of “something you know, something you have, and something you are”.
It can be annoying always having to grab your cellphone or check your email every single time you need to login to an account right? While Multi-Factor Authentication might feel slightly inconvenient, it is definitely put in place for all of the right reasons. Think about having double locks on the front door to your home. By having MFA, it is unlikely that someone will have both keys to your account, which makes it harder to break in. While cyber-criminals can still find loopholes to get their hands on your username or password, once they don't have the MFA code, it makes it harder for them to break down the door and gain access your account.
What's The Big Deal About MFA and Your Business Cloud?
Sometimes, all it takes is getting a backdoor entry into your organization and it's game over. It takes one untrained employee to give up their credentials in a phishing attempt and the entire company can be compromised. However, if you have enabled MFA on services like Office 365, it makes it much more difficult to get in. Without MFA, traditional cyber-security precautions can be compromised. Anti-virus, firewalls, encryption tools, network monitoring can all be by-passed if a threat-actor gets their hands on credentials to your accounts.
So why is MFA so important to safeguard your cloud accounts and why should you consider adding an extra layer of security? Just like the previous analogy of having double locks on your front door, the same goes for passwords and the ways we authenticate against our systems. Your Business Cloud is just one of many enterprises that you absolutely need to put your best efforts into ensuring its security. Passwords like front door keys, can be copied but that added layer of protection makes it complex and robust. You can apply MFA measures to your Business Cloud accounts by using
Authy, or Google Authenticator to generate codes for all your applications.
For advice on securing your Business Cloud environments or to learn more about our Managed IT Support Services in Toronto, contact us at [email protected] or book a meeting with us here.
