Two-Factor Authentication Matters More Than Ever

Since 2016, cyber-attacks on SMBs have increased by 20%. The vast majority of businesses will experience a cyber attack — and most of them blame employee passwords. Whether employee passwords are being shared, are weak, or are otherwise compromised, passwords are often the weakest link. But this can be defeated through the use of two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires two data points to log-in. Employees might need to both provide a password and an email address, or a password and a phone number, to get through. Even if someone has stolen someone's password, they can't get past two-factor authentication. 

Here are some reasons two-factor authentication remains critical today.

1. Computers are faster than ever.  It used to be that an eight-character password was pretty secure. As long as it wasn't a dictionary word, it would take a long time to "brute force." Brute forcing is when a computer program goes through every iteration of a potential password to determine what the password is. In 1982, that could take nine months. In 2020, it'll take a little more than three hours. Even a nine-character password takes a couple of months. And it's even faster if the password includes whole words. Unless you can rely upon your employees to have detailed passwords, you need to be concerned that they can be cracked.

2. Employees are logging in more frequently.  Employees are now logging in frequently on a multitude of devices. They are on their smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops. Every device is a potential method of intrusion. Passwords could be saved anywhere, keyloggers could be placed anywhere, and any device could potentially be lost. 

Because employees are logging into multiple devices and multiple platforms, there's also a greater tendency for them to store those passwords in text files, post-it notes, and other areas where they could easily be taken.

3. Users are increasingly using password protectors.   Password protection is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, users no longer need to remember their passwords, so they can have lengthy, detailed ones. They can even have them auto-generated. But if someone is already signed into their Google account, they can access nearly all their accounts. Unless there is a secondary security check or two-factor authentication check, users may have all their accounts breached after having a single account breached.

4. More people are working remotely.  Employers no longer have strict control over the devices their employees use. Employees will often be using a variety of devices to complete their work, and may use these devices in their personal life as well. Because of this, employers also can't ensure that people have the right security on their systems, or even that employees are locking their computers when they walk away.

Two-factor authentication makes it easier to secure any local or remote desktop gateway to privileged data, rather than the device itself. As more people work remotely, this will become increasingly important.

5. It's easier than before.  In the past, people were hesitant to use two-factor authentication because it was alien. Today, it's become such an industry standard that most people are used to it.
It sticks out not to have multi-factor authentication, and there are many platforms that already have embedded multi-factor authentication services that can be used. For most employers, there's no excuse not to start using multi-factor authentication, and the amount of training can be limited.

6. The risks of a data breach are greater.  Every year, companies put more information online. This information has to be secured and protected. The more personally identifiable, confidential, and privileged information you keep, the more efficient your business likely is. However, it's also the more devastating a data breach could be. Two-factor authentication is an easy and proven way to reduce your organization's risk, thereby reducing the chances that your organization could suffer the serious financial blow of a data breach.

Many small businesses either never fully recover from a data breach or close very soon after one, both because of the financial damage and because of the loss of reputation among customers, vendors, and even employees. To prevent this, organizations can instead choose to proactively protect themselves with security measures such as multi-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication have been around for a long time. Decades ago, many software solutions couldn't be run unless you both had a password and installed a USB "dongle" which verified ownership. But today, multi-factor authentication is becoming a de facto standard because companies are constantly under attack.

About the author: Lori Wade is a journalist from Louisville, Kentucky and is currently engaged in growing awareness around cyber security. 

You Might Also Read: 

Making 2FA More Secure:

 

« The US Suffers Multiple Attacks By Russian Hackers
Better Cyber Security For Smart Devices »

Infosecurity Europe
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

iXsystems

iXsystems

iXsystems is a leader in Open-Source enterprise server and storage solutions including Backup & Recovery to protect critical data.

Assured Data Protection

Assured Data Protection

Assured Data Protection specialises in data protection and disaster recovery services for large SME and enterprise organisations.

Thinklogical

Thinklogical

Thinklogical manufactures secure, KVM, video, audio, and computer peripheral signal switching solutions for defence C4ISR applications.

Protectimus

Protectimus

Affordable two factor authentication (2FA) provider. Protect your data from theft with multi factor authentication service from Protectimus.

Wotan Monitoring

Wotan Monitoring

Wotan Monitoring is the software solution for fully automatic process monitoring, infrastructure monitoring and end-to-end monitoring.

Resilience First

Resilience First

Resilience First is a not-for-profit organisation, led and funded by business to strengthen collective business resilience in all areas, including cyber security.

Wipro

Wipro

Wipro Limited is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company.

IBLISS Digital Security

IBLISS Digital Security

How cyber-resilient is your business now? We help companies to continuously answer this never-ending C-level question.

Communications & Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA)

Communications & Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA)

CITRA is responsible for overseeing the telecommunications sector, monitoring and protecting the interests of users and service providers, and regulating the services of telecomms networks in Kuwait.

PointWire

PointWire

PointWire offers a range of cybersecurity solutions and services including Penetration Testing on various levels, as well as Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems.

Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI)

Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI)

NCRI provides pioneering technology, research, and analysis to identify and forecast cyber-social threats targeting individuals, organizations, and communities.

Collabera Digital

Collabera Digital

Collabera Digital engineer the next generation of solutions that power tech-forward organizations and create an impact on people and communities.

Applied Connective Technologies

Applied Connective Technologies

Applied Connective is one team for all your technology needs, from IT to phones, cyber security to physical security, audio/video and the infrastructure to support it.

Cognna

Cognna

Cognna's innovative platform is designed to empower you and your team, providing the tools you need to detect, prevent, and resolve threats with ease.

Resemble AI

Resemble AI

Resemble AI is an innovator in Generative Voice AI technology and tools to combat AI fraud including audio watermarking and deepfake detection.

Bridgenet Solutions

Bridgenet Solutions

Bridgenet specialises as a top-notch Information and Technology Solutions Provider for businesses.