How 2FA and MFA Differ, and Which Is Best? | Managed IT Services in Dallas
What Are 2FA and MFA?
Managed IT services experts in Dallas strongly recommend the establishment of representative security factors. It turns out cybercrime is at about the same level of global economic impact as traditional, white-hat tech. In fact, cybercrime may cost more than white hat tech generates; but it depends on how you crunch the numbers.
If a business doesn’t secure access, there will very likely be security breaches. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) are key ways of doing that. They use multiple “factors” to “authenticate” users requesting access.
IT outsourcing experts in Dallas recommend MFA for more intensive security needs, and 2FA for basic security reliability. Essentially, 2FA may use an email address and a smartphone number–two factors–to help establish the identity of someone requesting access. In contrast, MFA uses multiple factors; here are a few which are common:
- A user’s smartphone
- A user’s email address
- Passwords or security questions
- Webcam or smartphone pictures
What 2FA and MFA Look Like in Practice
A managed IT services provider in Dallas can help you institute either 2FA or MFA protocols. Once in place, should a user ask for access to a given data network or online user profile, they’ll get a prompt to enter a code sent to their smartphone or email address. There is an app called “Authenticator” used in cryptocurrency transactions that sends out codes that can be used here.
For 2FA, one code or email is all that’s necessary. With MFA, more factors to secure identity become needed prior access. It helps to work with IT professionals to help you manage both sorts of protocols and advise you as to which would best represent a secure solution for your business.
More Effective Overall Security
Our managed IT services team in Dallas can help you understand 2FA and MFA security solutions, implement them, and can assist you in finding means of management. To learn more about these identification protection measures and how best to apply them, reach out to us at Technagy.