The rise of two-factor authentication
Here at DigitalFlare we wanted to improve our own security practices and have implemented 2FA services on many of our bespoke CRM and CMS systems. We have also enabled 2FA across all our cPanel servers.
With data breaches and cybercrime continuing to rise, 2FA (two-factor authentication) has seen a sharp rise in use and popularity as a means of protection!
Hackers are reported to attack every 39 seconds, which amounts to 2,244 attempted attacks globally daily. Security breaches have increased by 11% since 2018 and 67% since 2014, but how can businesses help protect themselves?
2FA is the simple process of double-checking that a login request has come from you by confirming the login with you through a separate application.
This is essential to web security because it immediately neutralises risks associated with compromised passwords. It ensures that a password is no longer enough to give an intruder access: without approval at the second factor, a password alone is useless.
The process of 2FA can work in several ways, from an alert on your 2FA apps such as Keeper / Google Authenticator, a passcode being emailed to a separate account, a push notification sent to your registered mobile number, or a telephone call back.
Never has 2FA been more needed than in the current climate. The impact of COVID-19 on remote working saw a sudden and sharp increase in this added security as businesses have acknowledged the need to improve security practices to support the mass migration to home working.
According to Duo, 2FA usage has been steadily rising over the last few years. Witnessing a growth of 28% in 2017, jumping to a 53% increase in 2019 - understandably, this has continued to grow throughout 2020, partly as a direct result of remote working.
2FA is now extremely common on our applications, with 68% of 18-34 year-olds using a 2FA service regularly. And organisations are now following suit, putting 2FA into their security practices for access to corporate data.
Here at DigitalFlare, we wanted to improve our security practices and have implemented 2FA services on many of our bespoke CRM and CMS systems. We have also enabled 2FA across all our cPanel servers. Digital Flare clients can now use their non-company smartphones to authenticate their accounts. 2FA services are essential to running our business securely and safely in the modern digital world.