User permissions and two factor authentication are crucial components of a secure security infrastructure. They can reduce the risk of accidental or malicious insider activity, reduce the impact of data breaches and ensure compliance with regulations.
Two factor authentication (2FA) is a method that requires a user to use a credential from two categories to log in to an account. This could be something the user is aware of (password or PIN code security question) or a document they have (one-time verification passcode sent to their phone or an authenticator app) or something that they possess (fingerprint, face, retinal scan).
Most often, 2FA is a subset of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) that has more than two. MFA is a requirement for certain industries such as healthcare, ecommerce, and banking (due to HIPAA regulations). The COVID-19 pandemic also given new urgency to security for companies that require two-factor authentication for remote workers.
Enterprises are living organisms and their security infrastructures keep changing. New access points are introduced each day, roles change and hardware capabilities are constantly evolving. complex systems reach the hands of users every day. It is crucial to evaluate the two-factor authentication strategy regularly to ensure they keep up with the latest developments. Adaptive authentication is a method to achieve this. It is a form of contextual authentication that activates policies based on date, time and location at which a login request is received. Duo offers an administrator dashboard centrally that lets you easily monitor and set these kinds of policies.