Create secure access to resources with multifactor authentication

Protect your organisation against breaches resulting from lost or stolen credentials, by adding additional layers of security to your sign-in process with Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).

Time and time again we see user passwords treated with minimal to no security. They are kept in plaintext, reused again and again by employees, and left to fend for themselves in the form of single-factor authentication. This malpractice has resulted in the theft of billions of pounds and enormous data breaches from which it takes organisations months, sometimes years, to recover.

MFA provides an additional layer to your organisation’s security, ensuring that even if your passwords are compromised your organisation is secured against the majority of attacks.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & why is it important?

In many instances where MFA is not used, the creation of a new account only requires a username and password. Unfortunately, a username is often a simple email address and passwords can be notoriously difficult to remember. Therefore, most people opt for simple ones or reuse the same ones across various sites. This makes it very easy for an attacker to compromise several accounts with the same credentials.

MFA is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors when access to a resource such as an application or online account. Adding additional layers of protection to the sign-in process. MFA is a core component of a strong identity and access management (IAM) policy. Rather than just asking for a username and password, MFA requires one or more additional verification factors, which decreases the likelihood of a successful cyber-attack.

Examples of MFA

MFA uses a combination of the following elements to authenticate a user:

• Knowledge (something you know) – A password is the most prevalent kind of knowledge factor. Passcodes, PINs, and security questions such as ‘What was the name of your high school?’ are also considered knowledge factors.
   
• Possession (something you have) – Soft tokens, key fobs, smartphones, smartcards and hard tokens are examples of possession factors. To authenticate a user’s identity, they may get a One Time Passcode delivered to their smartphone, a unique code created by a physical token, or they may be required to input a smartcard into a reader.
   
• Inheritance (something you are) – This includes biometrics or inheritance factors, the unique physical qualities that each of us has. Facial recognition, voice, fingerprints, retinal scans, and other biometrics, such as your pulse, are all examples of biometric verification. Organisations must be certain that all users have access to the appropriate equipment before using biometrics since scanning requires an appropriate device.
   

Benefits of using MFA

• It’s more secure than passwords – Long or more complex passwords can easily be compromised in an identity attack. Adopting MFA ensures that an attacker would need an additional verification method (such as an approved sign-in from the Microsoft Authenticator app) to be able to log into accounts with compromised credentials.
   
• Some types of multifactor authentication (MFA) are stronger than others – Make sure your credentials for high-risk accounts are resistant to phishing and channel jacking. Multiple authentication factors including Windows Hello for high-risk accounts enhance their security against phishing attacks and channel jacking.
   
• Passwords are making you vulnerable – Protect your business from common identity attacks with one simple action. Using passwords as a single-factor authentication and then reusing those passwords for multiple accounts creates a huge attack vector for malicious individuals to exploit.
   
• Ensure a seamless user experience – Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) provides a single control panel for IT teams to enable and help secure their breadth of user experiences from a universal identity-management platform. Reducing friction and simplifying security to empower your users.
   
• Secure your resources against unauthorised access – Compromising two or more authentication factors presents a significant challenge for attackers. Therefore, utilising MFA to grant access to accounts can reduce the risk of compromise by 99.9%.
   

Identity is the linchpin for security, if an identity gets compromised, it’s incredibly difficult to stop the domino effect before it’s too late. On average over 100 days pass before an organisation discovers there was a compromise. This quick 2-minute video helps you quickly set up multi-factor authentication with a mobile device in Microsoft 365.

Given that only around 10% of organisations adopt a strong authentication rate, doing any form of MFA takes you out of reach of most attacks. To discuss your MFA requirements in more detail, please Click Here to speak to one of our specialists. Alternatively, existing customers can contact their designated Account Manager.