The Relevance of Multi-Factor Authentication in Cybersecurity

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is regarded as one of the best options available to strengthen cyber security as it gives the user the opportunity to provide an extra layer of protection every time they log into an account. It is akin to having two doors in a house so that if a burglar breaks one of them, the burglar will have a second one to worry about. Even if the perpetrator somehow manages to steal your keys, they can be thwarted by the existence of another barrier such as the requirement of scanning fingerprints or entering a secret code.

MFA requires users to verify their identity in at least two of the three available methods: something you know (a password), something you have (a phone), or something you are (your fingerprint). When you access your bank, for example, you may enter your password (something you know), and even enter a specific code that is sent to your phone and must be entered before access is allowed. This significantly increases the difficulty for any would-be attackers who do not only need to break into the enduser’s account but also need the user’s password and mobile phone and other authentication factor to gain access into the account.

An interesting example of multi-factor authentication in practice can be seen on the social network Instagram. For instance, Instagram advises its users to enable the use of multi-factor authentication which makes the chances of an account being hacked low. For those who wish to log into your account from an unrecognized machine, besides your password, they need a code sent to your cell, which is quite safe.

MFA has become an essential layer in protecting sensitive accounts and therefore is nowhere more critical than in business. A simple username and password approach is quite outdated and allows lots of data breaches. In fact, most of these breaches are possible because online criminals get access to easy passwords that are not difficult to crack or get hold of through phishing. And in the same way, it’s easier to compromise businesses in a quest to rob their customers of personal information if most of their customers only have a password.

For instance, take the example of Yahoo’s hack in 2017, where millions of user accounts were accessed by attackers. This was the case simply because most of these accounts were weakly protected and could be accessed by ordinary passwords used by users across multiple platforms. This is where it gets interesting: Had the victim implemented an effective and stringent MFA, the attacker would never have gone past the second layer of security, which is quite effective.

MFA is about multiple approaches like putting several locks on the front door where burglars become very active. Requiring several different methods of authentication enables organizations to deploy effective barriers against unauthorized access and ensure security of their systems.