Kimberlee VenterImportance of MFA

Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security measure that requires multiple forms of identification to access an account or system. This can include something the user knows (such as a password), something the user has (such as a security token), and something the user is (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition).

The use of MFA is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age as it provides an additional layer of security to protect against unauthorized access.

Microsoft has released a key security upgrade to traditional MFA, this being Number Matching MFA. Number matching is a setting that forces the user to enter numbers from the identity platform into their app to approve the authentication request.

The benefits to moving to Number Matching is to make the Microsoft Authenticator Application more secure. The requirement mitigates MFA fatigue by requiring access to the login screen to approve requests. Users cannot approve requests without the numbers on the login screen, discouraging prompt spam.

One of the main reasons for the importance of MFA is the increasing frequency of cyber attacks. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated and are able to bypass traditional security measures such as passwords. MFA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring multiple forms of identification, making it more difficult for hackers to gain access to an account or system.

MFA can also help prevent identity theft. By requiring multiple forms of identification, it becomes much more difficult for an attacker to impersonate the account holder. This can help prevent financial loss and other forms of damage that can result from identity theft.

MFA is also convenient for users. Many MFA methods, such as fingerprint and facial recognition, are easy to use and do not require the user to remember a separate password or token. This can help increase user adoption and make it more likely that users will enable MFA on their accounts.

In conclusion, multi-factor authentication is becoming increasingly important as a security measure in today’s digital age. It provides an additional layer of protection against cyber attacks, helps organizations comply with industry regulations, prevent identity theft and is convenient for users. It’s highly recommended to implement MFA for any sensitive and important account.

By navigating to the User tab on your ThreatAware portal, you can confidently confirm if all staff in your organisation have MFA registered and working.