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IT Security?

Multi-factor Authentication for Sensitive Applications!

Secure your Apps and Information

With the emerging evolution in technology, security is becoming a major concern to deal with. Identity security providers can’t achieve the desired level of security requirements for their clients’ IT ecosystem as a firewall, and antivirus is not enough. IT admins thus moved to Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for meeting the numerous identity security challenges. Usually, MFA is referred to as 2FA and has been considered as a different entity for IT admins to buy and then implement. Cloud IAM facilities lifted the barrier and tightly integrated multi-factor authentication for securing cloud identities for enterprises.

What is MFA?

Whether you have AWS, Microsoft Azure, or any other cloud platform you can protect the root user account credentials with IAM – MFA. For IAM users in the account separate identities are allocated with a distinct MFA configuration.

Types of MFA:

MFA basically consists of who you are, what you know, and what you possess. Passwords, PINs, voice recognition, mobile devices, etc. are a few of the components. Combining these components strengthens the MFA in any IAM.

Majorly authentication factors are segregated into three types in MFA:

  • Things that you Know (Knowledge) – PIN/Password
  • Things that you Possess (Physical Objects) – Smartphones/Badge
  • Things you Are (Inheritance) – Biometrics (Fingerprints/Voice Recognition)

Additionally, there are other factors considered within the latest MFA solutions such as behavioral and contextual elements for authenticating.

  • Location of the access request attempt – home/office/café
  • What device is used for carrying out access request attempt – laptop/tablet/smartphone
  • Time of access request attempt – during the workday/night
  • Type of network used for access request attempt – public/private

How does Multi-Factor Authentication work?

Multi-factor Authentication verifies the identity of a user through multiple credentials which is an essential component for Identity and Access Management practice. In this method – rather than requesting a username and password which are prone to be stolen and misused, additional credentials comprising of codes like OTP (one-time password) for smartphone/email users, answer to a security question, facial recognition, fingerprint, etc.

With enhanced security through MFA brute force attacks can effectively be avoided. The multiple layers of security in MFA help in verifying the access requesting users’ identity/credentials with they claim to be. When MFA is in action a cybercrime can be forfeited as the miscreants won’t be able to verify their identity in any other means (OTP or biometric for example).

The most common examples of MFA involve the following set of pairings for authentication:

  • Fingerprints
  • Codes/OTPs sent to an email address
  • Smartphone app-generated codes
  • Facial recognition
  • Behavioral analysis
  • Certificates and soft tokens
  • Iris or retina scanning
  • Barcode scanning
  • Personal security question answer
  • USB devices, badges, or other physical devices

What Avancer IAM – Multifactor Authentication Brings:

Broadly known as Adaptive Authentication, MFA in IAM picks unusual logins depending on the pattern they are used, the place or device they have been accessed from. While the user tries to authenticate from an unusual context, this MFA will intensify the security measures through extra credential needs.

Implementing Multifactor Authentication on the Go

For further information on Multi-factor Authentication – feel free to get in touch with us!