Using MFA…Why should you care?

How MFA works

Multi Factor Authentication has been around for awhile. In fact all systems from a simple blogging service to a banking system have some form of MFA. In fact, a lot of systems do not even make it a choice anymore. This article is for the hold-outs that are trying NOT to use MFA on systems that allow them to opt out for as long as possible. It is a good compliment to a strong password.

A Quick Primer on MFA

MFA is a way to login to a computer system by using at least two sources of login information to gain access. In the security biz we call them security factors. For example, something you know (password), something you have (access token) and something you are (biometric scanner like a finger print scanner). In most cases, you will being using the first two factors. If you use the third one, you probably know MFA pretty well and this article is not for you.

Easy ways to setup MFA

Texting a code to your mobile phone

This is by far the easiest method to set up MFA. You just tell the service you are logging into that you would like a code texted to your mobile phone. It’s that easy. Every time you login a code will be texted to your phone and you will need to enter that code into the system you are logged into to complete authentication.

Using an Authenticator App

This is a little more detailed but it is my favorite way of authenticating. To me, it takes less time. You download and install of a authenticator app to your phone. A good example is is Microsoft Authenticator. There are other ones you can use and you might have to use more than one depending on the systems you login to but for for the sake of simplicity, we will use this one as an example.

You download the app from your mobiles online store (Apple iTunes Store or Google Play Store) and then set up your service account in the app. Once it is set up you will have an option to either enter in a code the app generates every 30 seconds or respond to a “push notification” after you log into to the online system. Either way you have the second factor to authenticate and that makes things very secure!

Since there are a lot of YouTube videos’ already created on how to set up MFA, I have looked at several and I will include the best ones here:

I have included one more here:

This should get you started on making your online accounts a lot more secure. Please share this quick IT tip (social sharing on page) with anyone who is reluctant to use MFA. It is so easy!!! As always, if you have any questions you can always drop me a line!

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I am an IT professional with over twenty years experience in the field. I have supported thousands of users over the years. The organizations I have worked for range in size from one person to hundreds of people. I have performed support from Help Desk, Network / Cloud Administration, Network Support, Application Support, Implementation and Security.

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