Why is two-factor authentication important to assure additional safety 30^th January 2022

Two Factor Verification (2FA) is recognized by many names, such as two-step authentication, two-step verification, and even multi-factor authentication (MFA). In simple terms, to get access to an app, platform, or network, the end-users must ascertain their identities using two forms of IDs. One is their password, and the other factor can be anything, an OTP, biometric scan, a security question, etc.

2FA adds an extra degree of security by safeguarding user IDs and preventing cybercriminals from accessing online resources. Cyber attackers have to confront an additional barrier to access with 2FA in place. Even if hackers know a user's password, they must guess the second factor, which might be challenging based on the authentication factor allowed.

In today's post, we'll go over how this technology protects individuals and organisations from people with malicious intents out in this world headed for Metaverse.

1. Looking beyond passwords:
Generally, offices use single-factor authentication (username & password) to grant access to their services. However, these procedures are insufficient to protect users nowadays.
This is due to users often not adhering to best practices when setting a password. Although strong password rules may help companies reduce these habits, other offenses, such as writing down passwords, using the same passwords across various accounts, or discussing passwords with others, are common challenges at the workplace.
This is where 2FA comes in. It is tough to bypass a second authentication stage as it generally involves biometrics (which can't be faked), TOTPs (Time-bound and ever-changing), etc.

2. An efficient way to fight phish based attacks:
Phishing is a form of cyber assault in which people with malicious intentions send a bogus email that mines for sensitive data. It is one of the top web hazards confronting businesses today.
Phishing emails seem to be sent by respectable organisations and often invite people to log in to their social network, bank, or business accounts. Unfortunately, many consumers are duped by the nature of these emails and input their credentials, giving their passwords and access to sensitive information to hackers.
Let's say you have fallen for the phishing trap, and the hacker has your password. They will try to log in to your account and fail because the second layer of authentication will be waiting for them. One wrong attempt on the second stage will prompt you about a possible breach. You can immediately reset the passwords.

3. A single compromised account might be the tip of the iceberg:
If the same password or its variants are used for multiple accounts, the hacker may acquire access to all of them. Since a typical user handles over 80+ accounts on average, there's a potential risk the hacker will access other credentials. They may steal critical information from inside and even sell the hacked credentials.
If hackers manage to crack into your account and try to work their way to other accounts, they will not be able to get in.

In the future, companies plan to include Geolocation, device type, time of day to assist if a user should be authenticated or restricted. Furthermore, behavioural indicators can be discreetly tracked in real-time to enable continuous authentication. These are things for the future, though. Use the 2FA technology available to secure your online identity from hackers.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.