Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) – Jargon Buster

In the latest in our series of cyber security jargon busters, we give the low down on MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) – what is it and why you might need it.

When you sign into your accounts, you’re proving to the service that you are who you say you are. This is ‘authenticating’ your identity. 

Normally you would do this using a username and a password. However, usernames are often very easy to discover or work out, and because passwords can be difficult to remember, people often choose simple ones or reuse the same password over and over. This can make the accounts vulnerable to hacking attempts.

Because of this, many businesses and compliance standards now require an extra step – multi-factor authentication, also known as two-step. This second step will reinforce something that you know, your password, with something you have (like access to your registered phone where you can receive a unique one-time code, or your registered email account, where you can click a unique link, or something you are, like your fingerprint or facial recognition).

This hugely increases the chances that you are who you say you are, thereby dramatically increasing the business’ security and minimising the risk of a data breach.

Some people worry that multifactor authentication will be a huge hassle, and that it will be required every time you sign into a device or site. However, this typically isn’t the case. Often, multifactor authentication will only be required when you first log into an account on a particular device, and then again after a certain time period. 

To learn more, contact us now at info@securious.co.uk.