Why MFA is the Most Critical Cyber Security Step You'll Take This Year

While still imperative to get right, passwords aren’t nearly as secure as you would expect them to be. They can be guessed (especially if proper password practices haven’t been followed), stolen in data breaches, or phished from a well-meaning employee.

Passwords are essentially the lock built into the front door of a building. They’re enough to keep out honest people, but what about the people who are willing to go to the deep web and 3D print the master key to the type of lock you use?

This is effectively what happens to stolen passwords, so let’s discuss what needs to be done to eliminate this vulnerability.

The Answer is Simple: Add Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the process of requiring a user to verify their identity in multiple ways:

• Something you know (a password)
• Something you have (an authenticator app or a hardware key)
• Something you are (a biometric authentication, like a fingerprint or face scan)

If you aren’t already utilizing MFA in your business, you’ve likely been prompted to activate these security measures on your personal social media accounts and the like.

Why Does MFA Make Such a Difference?

To be completely fair, we’re very aware that MFA can be a real pain. That being said, as inconvenient as it may seem to deal with, it is infinitely more difficult for the cybercriminal who—if you follow best practices and keep your MFA deployment secure—will lack the additional authentication factor to bypass your protections. Furthermore, it is very easy to implement in some of today’s most popular business tools, particularly those offered by Microsoft and Google.

Macro Systems Can Help You Implement and Manage Your Business’ MFA Deployment

If you want to be sure that your business’ MFA deployment is done properly and efficiently, you should reach out to Macro Systems and learn more about our managed IT services. As part of our evaluation of your network, we’ll identify opportunities to increase security with MFA, putting it in place and ensuring that your team not only knows how to use it, but that it is just another step in their everyday processes.

Unfortunately, today’s threats make MFA not only ideal but also effectively necessary. Again, we can help make it as simple as possible for you. If you’re ready to make your business exponentially more secure, give Macro Systems a call at 703-359-9211 today.