As the internet has evolved, talking about data security has become much more important than it was many years ago. This is why this subject is so present in many companies, especially when it comes to authentication.
From small to large and well-known companies., technology companies deal with a huge volume of data and we often hear about problems related to the security of this data.
So, along with the evolution of technology, new security and authentication protocols are emerging to ensure that this data is secure and not breached.
In this article, we will better understand how MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) works and why companies have chosen to go this route.
In literal translation, Multi-Factor Authentication means "the use of two or more factors for authenticity verification". In practice, MFA is a login process that uses two or more steps to attest to the user's identity when accessing a system, information, application, or document.
Usually, when you perform a login process, you need to log in with one piece of information (in most cases, a user and password), authenticating access with only one factor.
In most systems nowadays, whether physical, such as bank tellers, or virtual, such as social networks and other platforms in the Internet universe, two or more authentication steps are being used already.
In the case of social networks, along with the password, users may need to enter a code received by app, email, or sms, answer some secret question, or do facial/digital verification to authenticate the account.
Adopting MFA means ensuring that security protocols are further strengthened, preventing unauthorized access to the account.
It seems like a rather obvious question to answer, since we now realize how important the security of our data on the internet is. However, many may believe that just a username and password can be enough to make their account secure, and this is where the mistake is made.
Regardless of the strength and complexity of the password, this data can be stolen and your privacy lost in a matter of minutes.
By implementing an MFA system, the security levels increase and become much more robust. This makes it difficult and almost inaccessible for a cybercriminal to "penetrate" the system or company, and so increases data security.
MFA deployment can vary greatly depending on company size, technologies, and needs. There are different MFA models, one of which is adaptive authentication, which uses rules from information about the user to determine the authentication factors that will be applied.
In adaptive authentication, user profiles are defined according to some information such as:
Geographic location;
Login attempt days and times;
Registered devices; and
Frequency of access.
In this model, when logging in, the IP address of the device is verified, which device is used, and other data is checked. This data is checked against the profile to understand what the risks of that access are, and then two-factor authentication kicks in. With this, the user is subjected to this confirmation in access to be able to log on securely.
This type of authentication is the most suitable, but its cost is quite high and not all companies can apply it. The most common thing nowadays is to choose a predefined model, which will adopt the previously chosen default authentication for all accesses.
Some MFA practices are recommended for companies in order to protect digital resources and ensure access security. Learn about some of them:
Create different access roles, such as administrators, managers, and other less privileged users.
Use strong password creation policies, i.e. mandatorily require that passwords contain special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters.
Use different security credentials. Requesting a password change frequently is a good practice in such cases.
In short, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a procedure that strengthens the security of systems and creates a greater deterrent against attacks by cybercriminals, protecting data much more effectively.
With the advancement of technologies and the rampant use of social networks, information security is an extremely important issue that must be taken seriously. For us at Levva, security is a priority.
levva has professionals dedicated to ensuring the protection of our data and our customers' information. Still, what today is a great competitive differential, should be seen as a basic requirement for companies that search for suppliers in the IT area.
There are other differentials that companies should look for when we are talking about technology. For example, have you ever thought about the role that design can play in your business? You can check our article on what your company gains by investing in design.
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