Recently, our Chief Innovation Officer Bassam Al-Khalidi wrote an article that was published in Security Magazine about the top eight tips for implementing multi factor authentication (MFA) effectively. Read on for a summary of the article or check out the full article, which delves into each of the eight tips in much greater detail. And, as always, contact us today if your organization needs help with advanced and simplified credential management.
Summary
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, protecting digital assets with robust cybersecurity measures is critical. MFA is one of the most effective tools available to safeguard against breaches, but many organizations settle for "good enough" solutions—basic MFA that only covers a portion of operations and leaves significant vulnerabilities. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other regulatory bodies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), emphasize the need for stronger, phishing-resistant MFA methods to meet evolving security demands and protect against modern threats, such as phishing. However, it’s not just as easy as “turning on MFA.”
As we’ve said in a past post, to implement MFA effectively, organizations should align with regulatory guidelines, such as NIST's recommendations, and prioritize advanced methods like certificate-based authentication (CBA) and FIDO2 passkeys. These technologies provide robust protection against phishing by using cryptographic keys or biometrics, which are much harder for attackers to exploit compared to SMS or OTP-based MFA. It’s also important to assess all use cases across the organization, ensuring that MFA is deployed universally—covering remote access, privileged accounts, and legacy systems—and not just as a checkbox to meet compliance standards.
In addition to implementing robust MFA technologies, user education and ongoing engagement are critical for successful adoption. Employees must understand why MFA is necessary and how to use it effectively. Organizations should also consider using adaptive or risk-based MFA, which adjusts authentication requirements based on contextual factors like the user’s location or device. Backup and recovery plans are also essential, ensuring that users can regain access to systems without compromising security if their authentication method fails or a device is lost. By combining strong MFA technologies with user awareness and flexible, risk-based approaches, organizations can significantly enhance their cybersecurity defenses and reduce the risk of successful attacks.
