More Than a Password – Multi-Factor Authentication

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is urging all organizations to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to increase their cyber defenses. Today, more and more threat actors are compromising entities and defrauding individuals via stolen passwords. That is why implementing more than just a password to guard access to your devices and networks is critical. Indeed, the MFA webpage states that “adversaries are increasingly capable of phishing or harvesting passwords to gain unauthorized access. They take advantage of passwords you reused on other systems. MFA adds a strong protection against account takeover by greatly increasing the level of difficulty for adversaries.”

Additionally, according to CISA, “MFA is a layered approach to securing your online accounts and the data they contain.” Users provide a combination of two or more authenticators to verify their identity before a service grants them access. Users who implement MFA are 99 percent less likely to be compromised by an adversary, according to Microsoft. The CISA MFA page also includes information on setting up various types of MFAs, resources for consumers, and resources for organizations. Access additional information at CISA.