2FA authentication

Authentication seeks answers to the question of who the user is and whether they are who they claim to be. Authorization, on the other hand, is the process that determines what level of access should be granted to the user, that is, what the user can and cannot do.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that, in addition to the standard login and password as the first factor, adds an extra layer of security with more authentication factors. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a subset of multi-factor authentication that uses two factors.

Let’s say your user wrote their password on a piece of paper, and someone read it and found out. If your user enabled 2FA on their account, even if someone tries to log in using the user's password, they will not be able to access that account. Another way to compromise the user's password involves a variety of types of attacks: from simple brute force attacks, where the attacking person randomly tries every possible password combination until they match, to more sophisticated methods, such as using rainbow tables. Even if the attacking person obtains the password, they will be stopped by the second factor. Regardless of the type of attacks used, 2FA provides proper defense against password breaches.

Fraud is referred to as a set of deceptive methods used to trick the user into providing confidential information, such as a password. The most common method of fraud is sending emails with a link to a fake website designed to look like a legitimate site. The information entered is saved and used by hackers to log into the real user account. Of course, sending links to a fake website copy is not the only way hackers operate. They can also impersonate members of legitimate institutions and try to deceive the user over the phone or via text message. There are many ways to commit fraud, and cybercriminals are very creative in creating new forms of such dishonest activities. Fortunately, 2FA adds a second factor that significantly reduces the success of fraud attacks. Hackers will be blocked from accessing user information, or the user, given more time, will notice suspicious hacker behavior.

The use of 2FA provides numerous advantages. First and foremost, 2FA significantly reduces the risk of losing valuable data and money, as it protects your accounts with an additional layer of authentication. As shown in this article, passwords are easy to compromise, allowing hackers to impersonate you quite easily. By adding a second factor, it is less likely that an unauthorized party will gain access to your account. If the second factor involves the use of a physical device, even if a hacker gains complete access to your computer, they still cannot log into your account – they will need your phone. If ensuring the security of users and information is very important to you, this should be a sufficient reason to implement 2FA in your workplace.

There are more benefits. Implementing 2FA and documenting this fact sends a clear message to your clients that you care about their data security, making them more likely to work with you in the near future. Furthermore, the use of 2FA greatly improves compliance with all security regulations and standards, including PCI DSS, ISO/IEC 27001, NYDFS, and NAIC. Considering these advantages, there is a truly valid reason to implement 2FA in your workplace, integrate applications, and protect your users and clients.