Internet security continues to be a top priority for all businesses that use any type of IT solutions to stay connected to the world.
In the fight to maintain security, 2 factor authentication is one technique that can help, but is it as useful of a solution as it is intended to be?
Though it can seem more bothersome than anything, 2 factor authentication can be a good security element for managed IT solutions as long as it is used correctly.
What Is the Purpose of 2 Factor Authentication?
The purpose behind 2 factor authentication is to reduce the chance that someone can access a network or application without having the right credentials to do so.
Not only must they have one password, but they need a second one as well.
Yet where many companies fail with this system is by not implementing 2 factor authentication into their IT solutions correctly or viewing it as simply something that slows employees down and little else.
If it becomes too inconvenient, employees will avoid using it.
How Can 2 Factor Authentication Be Used?
Properly integrated into a company’s managed IT solutions, 2 factor authentication should be used both to control access to the company network and also at each application that works outside the network, like those that connect to other entities through the internet.
These endpoints that connect companies to the internet present the greatest risk to all businesses, as they are accessible to others through hacking.
Essentially, every application, device, and access point that a company uses should be protected with 2 factor authentication.
Is 2 Factor Authentication Easy to Use?
The good news is that as 2 factor authentication technology has advanced, it is easier than ever to use it by implementing push notifications.
Now, most 2 factor authentication applications and plugins offer this, making using this IT solution not just easier with greater compliance, but also more secure.
Push notifications, which send texts or emails to users seeking access to an application or network point, require the user to enter a code or tap a button as the second point of authentication.
Since those notifications only go to the user set up to receive push notifications, it makes logging in an easier IT solution as well as notifying the user of any breach attempts, too.
Adding It Up – Use or Don't Use?
Using push notifications, 2 factor authentication is one of the more important IT managed solutions to maintain business security in the easiest way.
Many applications have it included and there are standalone apps that can be installed to use 2 factor authentication as well.
Managed IT solutions that include 2 factor authentication like this have a lower risk of being successfully hacked.