No matter how much effort you put into improving your passwords, they remain just a single barrier standing between potential attackers and your valuable data. When aiming for secure accounts, an additional layer of authentication should be considered as an absolute must. NIST knows this and recommends utilizing two-factor or multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
The point of 2FA/MFA is to verify that the person trying to gain access to an account is really the person authorized to do so. In practice, this can be done using something you know (like a memorized password or a PIN), something you have (such as a security token or a mobile phone) or something you are (biometric methods like fingerprint readers, face or retina scanners)
What’s new in the latest recommendations in terms of 2FA? SMS is no longer advised as a second factor due to it being susceptible to numerous threats. A more secure alternative to SMS includes hardware devices, as well as software-based one-time password (OTP) generators – such as secure apps installed on mobile devices.
The new guidelines introduce a more straightforward approach to digital authentication, which has the potential to improve the current situation not only in terms of user-friendliness, but also in terms of security. And because passwords don’t seem to be going anywhere just yet, we might as well try and make the best out of them.
NIST is not alone in their recommendation either. The people behind World Password Day, an initiative focused on improving password strength, suggest that each account should have its own unique password and that users can also adopt either a “passcode” strategy for increased security or adopt two-factor authentication, whereas a password only provides a single (security) step to gain access to sensitive data. Thus, the takeaway here echoes one of our most central pieces of advice, the use of a reliable multi-layered security solution.
Note
1 Application can be attacked
2 Database can be attacked
3 Operating system can be Attacked
4 Web server can be attacked
5 It all depends on the one that is vulnerable for the attacker to exploit
For easy access to a two-factor authentication you can download Microsoft or google authenticator
