Your small business needs to embrace multi factor authentication

October 4, 2019

Identity theft is one of the easiest ways for hackers to steal your data and profit. All they have to do is crack a few passwords and boom they have access to your accounts. After that they can steal all your data and sell it, or they can ransom it to you for a huge payout. What can you do to protect yourself? More complex passwords can be difficult to remember and can still be compromised. But Multi-factor Authentication is a bit harder to get around.  
 

Multi-factor Authentication is a security practice requiring two or more forms of authentication before you can have access to your account. Instead of having immediate access after providing your password you’ll be prompted to submit a code or use biometrics.  
 
Biometrics are the characteristics that a person can be measured and identified by. This includes fingerprints, and face scans which are used for most phones now. They can also be used for Multi-factor Authentication. 
 

The issue with relying only on passwords is that once they are compromised your account is in danger. With Multi-factor Authentication you get the added security of receiving a code or using biometrics to access your account. Now these codes have a pretty quick expiration which makes it exponentially harder for hackers to access your account. Which means your information is a lot safer, and less vulnerable to attacks.  

While it might seem that hackers are only going after huge companies because that’s usually what you see in the media it’s not accurate. Small businesses are an easy target for criminals like this because they don’t have a team dedicated to security. But because we only ever hear about the big businesses we can sometimes fail to be as cautious as we should be. 

Small businesses should always be concerned about having their security compromised because it can be detrimental to their business. Not only will hackers steal data, they will also destroy it, which could be devastating to small businesses. Being aware of the dangers and preparing for it is the only way to ensure you’ll be safe. 

First you should consult your IT support team on the best security practices for your company, they will be able to suggest the best security practices for your specific business. Then you should look into enabling multifactor authentication for all of your accounts where it is available. Lastly, you should educate your employees of the dangers they face with phishing and hackers so that they will be more cautious moving forward.