Utilize Multi-Factor Authentication In Your Kalamazoo Organization And Protect Your Remote Workers
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many organizations have been forced to embrace remote work, and for some, it’s not going well. Why? Because with minimal time, they’ve had to review and modify their existing technologies, processes, and procedures. This is particularly difficult for those operating without a business contingency plan in place. Gartner found that 54% of HR leaders found poor technology and infrastructure for remote work has been the biggest barrier to working from home effectively.
One of the biggest challenges? Cybersecurity. The current crisis has created a rippling impact on the healthcare system, the global economy, and of course, the security of businesses and individuals. How so? The overwhelming degree of uncertainty and fear amongst people, alongside the fact that more organizations are embracing remote work than ever, has created the perfect state for hackers to attack.
Cybercriminals have ramped up their efforts as much as 300% lately. According to the FBI, they’re receiving 3,000 – 4,000 cybersecurity complaints daily – up from the average 1,000 before the crisis started. Flavio Aggio, Chief Information Security Officer for The World Health Organization (WHO), explained,
“There has been a big increase in targeting of the WHO and other cybersecurity incidents. There are no hard numbers, but such compromise attempts against us and the use of WHO impersonations to target others have more than doubled.”
What Are The Top Cyber Threats?
There are two common threats to worry about: phony domains and phishing attacks. Both use the following tricks:
- Offering coronavirus tests at a discounted rate
- Offering information on cases in your region
- Offering information or forms to receive financial assistance
They have one goal: stealing confidential information, including financial details and login credentials, to gain access to your accounts and your money.
What Is Multi-Factor Authentication?
Multi-factor authentication is a security measure wherein users need to provide additional pieces of evidence, above and beyond a password, to log into an account. This additional piece of evidence may be a PIN code sent to their email or mobile device that must be entered alongside the password. Many multi-factor authentication services offer the following capabilities:
- The ability to identify network users and enforce an identity-driven policy across the network
- The ability to allow single sign-on capabilities for internal and cloud networks throughout the workplace
- The ability to manage access to various types of services, including those for guests and those in the office
This means only the right person will have access to any given system or information. Ultimately, this keeps your accounts far safer than only using a password to secure them.
Why Do You Need Multi-Factor Authentication?
Reality is, security is a hard balancing act to achieve. You can invest in all sorts of solutions, but if your employees are careless with the way they’re using passwords, accounts can easily be broken. Organizations must establish ways to mitigate potential threats of all types, including those related to access systems and information. Many business owners have the same thought:
“But I teach my employees the common best practices regarding passwords! We’re safe!”
This simply isn’t true. Employees often do their best to follow best practices, but when it comes down to it, remember a long, complex password with a minimum of 12 characters that are not reused or shared is hard. It’s near impossible. If employees struggle with this, multi-factor authentication offers an additional layer of security to combat any weak passwords. Although, if this is a challenge, we recommend using a password manager in conjunction with multi-factor authentication.
A Look At The Numbers
Your employees are your first line of defense when it comes to keeping your confidential information safe against cybercrime. If they’re not properly securing their accounts and systems, you’re at risk. Yubico released an interesting report outlining the state of password and authentication practices. They surveyed several individuals and found that:
- 69% of people tend to share passwords with colleagues to access various accounts
- 51% of people tend to reuse passwords across personal and business accounts
- 57% of people who have experienced a phishing attack haven’t changed their behaviors
Shocking, isn’t it?
For more information on multi-factor authentication now, contact us or call us at (269) 428-7000">(269) 428-7000.
