High-profile security breaches are on the rise and company information is being compromised. “Billions of people were affected by data breaches and cyber attacks in 2018 – 765 million in the months of April, May, and June alone – with losses surpassing tens of millions of dollars.” (Positive technologies) Most of these breaches occur when login credentials of users are stolen and then used to gain access into a company’s network. Once hackers have access into the network, they can leverage their access to attain further information and/or perform employee impersonation putting the entire company network at risk.

There are a variety of ways that your password can be obtained without your knowledge. A phishing email can lead you to enter your password into a fake site, a hacker can guess simple passwords, or your password could be stolen from another network that has been compromised. How do you protect yourself, you ask? Multi-factor authentication or MFA can help prevent these cybercriminals from gaining access.

MFA is a two-step authentication process that can help secure your identity. It requires every user to provide more than a password to gain access to sensitive IT information. There are several types of authentication methods currently available. These methods include a hardware or software “token,” text message, phone call, security questions, or biometrics. Therefore, when you try to login to your network, a one-time passcode is sent via one of the methods for you to enter and securely gain access. MFA can seem daunting to set up at first, but once it is in place it is a small inconvenience for added security.

ICC highly recommends configuring MFA for all users that have access to public facing servers such as Exchange Outlook Web Access or Remote Desktop Services.  MFA has been a tested, reliable, and secure method for several clients returning a high success rate with limited inconvenience. If you have more questions about MFA or are looking to have it set up for your business, contact ICC at 970.821.8592, chat us at iccusa.net or email us at info@iccusa.net.