With the COVID-19 pandemic came a rise in companies turning to remote work. This allowed employees to work from anywhere in the world while still being able to access their company data. Companies were prompted to think of more secure ways to keep their private information safe. However, the majority of companies are only protecting certain departments with multi-factor authentication rather than protecting every single employee with the Sonicwall Global VPN Client Two-Factor Authentication.
Cyberattacks are happening on a more frequent basis and some companies still believe that they won’t get hacked because their business is a prime target and they have an “it won’t happen to me mentality”. This is why some companies only protect the departments with the most sensitive information but what they don’t realize is that they’re still leaving vulnerabilities in the company. Companies may not realize that there are dangers to leaving vulnerabilities when it comes to security and that even if just one user is unprotected then it can lead to a serious data breach.
All users, regardless if they have MFA protection or not, will have access to your company server, network connection, etc. and leaving just one user without MFA will increase your risk of a data breach.
What is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-factor authentication is designed to prevent an unauthorized user from gaining access to an account even if they managed to steal a user’s login credentials. Two factor authentication is that extra layer of protection beyond the username and password and is usually a combination of two of the following:
- Something you know: (password or PIN number)
- Something you have: (phone, or authenticator app)
- Something you are: (fingerprint or facial recognition)
Two-factor authentication does have a longer log-in process but it’s recommended by cybersecurity experts to enable 2FA wherever possible. This can include email accounts, password managers, social media applications, cloud storage, and more.
Why You Need 2FA
In today’s world, it’s crucial that you are not solely relying on passwords alone. You never want to rely on any single method for comprehensive security protection. Implementing two-factor authentication is the first step to securing your company data.
Your password is not strong enough to protect against cyber attacks. When you’re using two-factor authentication you’re protecting yourself from attacks such as brute force attacks or password spraying where hackers try a list of the most common passwords to easily crack weak passwords. Hackers will also try various phishing attacks to gain access to an account. A phishing attack is a type of social engineering scam that cybercriminals use to impersonate a business or trusted contact in order to trick the user into revealing their personal information.
Spyware is another type of attack that cybercriminals use to gain access to personal information. This is also known as keylogging which can discreetly record everything you type, including usernames and passwords, and send it back to the hackers who secretly installed the malware on your device.
While it may seem like only protecting your top key assets with MFA is a good idea that’ll save you money, it’s actually harmful for your business in the long run and can cost a lot more than you think. Two-factor authentication is the best way to ensure your company is fully protected against cyber threats and attacks. There are plenty of affordable options for MFA solutions which makes protecting every single user more feasible so you won’t have to pick and choose who is protected and who isn’t. The more you can educate yourself and your employees of the dangers of not having a multifactor authentication system in place, the better equipped you will be to handle security within your company.
