User Permissions and Two Factor Authentication

Two factor authentication are an essential part of any robust security infrastructure. They help reduce the risk of malicious or accidental insider threats, limit the impact of data breaches, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Two factor authentication (2FA) is a method that requires a user to enter a credential from two categories in order to log into their account. This could be something the user is familiar with (passwords, PIN codes and security questions) or something they’ve got (one-time verification code sent to their mobile or an authenticator program) or something they are (fingerprints, face, or retinal scan).

Often, 2FA is a subset of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which is comprised of many more factors than just two. MFA is a common click to find out more requirement in certain industries, including healthcare (because of the strict HIPAA regulations) as well as ecommerce and banking. The COVID-19 virus outbreak has also raised the importance of security for companies that require two-factor authentication.

Enterprises are living organisms, and their security infrastructures keep changing. Access points are added daily, users change roles, hardware capabilities evolve and complex systems reach the fingertips of everyday users. It’s important to regularly reevaluate your two-factor authentication method at scheduled intervals to ensure that it can keep up with the changes. The adaptive authentication method is one way to achieve this. It’s a kind of contextual authentication that triggers policies depending on the time, place and how a login request is processed. Duo offers a central administrator dashboard that lets you easily set and monitor the policies of these kinds.