Two factor authentication are an essential part of a solid security infrastructure. They help reduce the risk of accidental or malicious insider activities, limit the impact of data breaches, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires users to enter credentials from two different categories to sign into an account. This could include something that the user knows (password PIN code, password, security question) or something they own (one-time verification passcode sent to their phone or authenticator app) or something they’re (fingerprint or face, retinal scan).
2FA is usually a subset to Multi-Factor Authentication that has more than two components. MFA is a requirement in certain industries like healthcare banks, ecommerce, and healthcare (due to HIPAA regulations). The COVID-19 epidemic has increased the importance of security for companies that require two-factor authentication.
Enterprises are living organisms and their security infrastructures are constantly changing. Users are changing roles and hardware capabilities are evolving, and complex systems are being used by users. It is important to review your two-factor authentication process at regular intervals to ensure that it’s up to date with these changes. One method to do this is to use adaptive authentication. This is a type of contextual authentication that will trigger policies based on how the login request is received. Duo offers a centralized administrator dashboard that allows you to easily set and monitor the policies of these kinds.