User permissions and two factor authentication are a vital element of a robust security system. They help reduce the risk of insider threats or accidental data breaches, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Two factor authentication (2FA) is a process that requires a user to use a credential from two categories to log into their account. It could be something the user is familiar with (passwords, PIN codes security questions) or something they’ve got (one-time verification code that is sent to their phone or an authenticator program) or something they ARE (fingerprints facial or retinal scan).
2FA is often a subset to Multi-Factor Authentication, which has more than two components. MFA is often a requirement in certain industries, like healthcare (because of strict HIPAA regulations) as well as e-commerce and banking. The COVID-19 pandemic has also given new urgency to security for organizations requiring two-factor authentication for remote workers.
Enterprises are living entities and their security infrastructures are always evolving. Users are changing roles and hardware capabilities are evolving and complex systems are now in the hands of users. It is essential to periodically review your two-factor authentication plan at regular intervals to ensure that it can keep up with the changes. Adaptive authentication is one method to accomplish this. It is a form of contextual authentication that will trigger policies based on the time, place and how the login request is handled. Duo offers a centralized administrator dashboard that allows you to easily set and monitor these kinds of policies.