User permissions and two-factor authentication are crucial components of a robust security system. They reduce the risk of malicious insider attacks or accidental data breaches and ensure compliance with regulations.
Two factor authentication (2FA) is a process in which a user has to enter a credential in two categories to sign in to an account. It could be something the user knows (passwords, PIN codes and security questions), something they possess (one-time verification code that is sent to their mobile or an authenticator app) or something they ARE (fingerprints facial or retinal scan).
Most often, 2FA is a subset of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which includes many more factors than just two. MFA is usually a requirement in certain industries, such as healthcare (because of strict HIPAA regulations) as well as e-commerce and banking. The COVID-19 virus has added a new urgency for companies that require two-factor authentication for remote workers.
Enterprises are living organisms and their security infrastructures are constantly changing. New access points are developed every day, users switch roles as well as hardware capabilities change and complex systems reach the hands of users every day. It is important to regularly examine the two-factor authentication strategies regularly to ensure they keep up with the latest developments. One way to do this is to use adaptive authentication, which is a kind of contextual authentication that creates policies based on the way, when and where a login request is received. Duo provides a central administrator dashboard that diagnostics and cataract surgery lets you easily set and monitor these kinds of policies.