Double up your defense with 2FA

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a specific type of multi-factor authentication (MFA) that strengthens access security by requiring two methods (also referred to as authentication factors) to verify your identity. These factors can include something you know—like a username and password—plus something you have—like a smartphone app—to approve authentication requests.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the foundational element of a zero trust security model. To protect sensitive data, you must verify that the users trying to access that data are who they say they are. It is an effective way to protect against many security threats that target user passwords and accounts, such as phishing, brute-force attacks, credential exploitation and more.

By integrating two-factor authentication with your applications, attackers are unable to access your accounts without possessing your physical device that’s being used as the second factor.

While 2FA protects against a multitude of threats, the most common threats include:

• Stolen Passwords: 2FA validates the user with a second device after a password is entered, preventing a password from being used by anyone who can get their hands on it.

• Phishing Attempts: Hackers often send emails that include links to malicious websites designed to either infect a user’s computer or convince them to enter their password. Once obtained, a password can be used for access unless 2FA is enabled, requiring additional validation.

• Social Engineering: Hackers often manipulated users into giving up their passwords by posing as a professional at the user’s company. 2FA protects against this by validating the location and IP of every login attempt.

• Brute-Force Attacks: In a brute-force attack, a hacker randomly generates passwords for a specific computer until they land on the correct sequence. 2FA requires that login attempt to be validated before granting access.

• Key Logging: Hackers can use malware to track and copy a user’s password as they type. The second later of validation in 2FA ensure that a login is coming from the actual user and not the hacker.

2FA protects against phishing, social engineering and password brute-force attacks. It secures your logins from attackers exploiting weak or stolen credentials. This dramatically improves the security of login attempts. 2FA has also been shown to block nearly all automated bot-related attacks.

At Duo, we recommend push-based, FIDO security key, and biometric authentication. These methods make it very difficult for an attacker to pose as an authorized user.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a subset of multi-factor authentication. Any security protocol that involves three or more authentication factors is considered MFA. 2FA is the most common and easily accessible subset of MFA that requires two factors of authentication.

2FA often reduces the need for device-specific or application-specific security tools, like MDMs. With 2FA, companies can protect a broader scope of information and technical environments, allowing them to consolidate and/or forego solutions that may not be adding to the overall security landscape. Reducing the total cost of ownership is an ongoing initiative for many companies, especially when it comes to IT, and protecting more information with 2FA can drive progress towards that goal.

Yes. Most companies need to protect both cloud-based and on-premises applications, so it’s smart for 2FA vendors to accommodate both types.

However, that doesn’t mean all 2FA vendors can protect all applications. Some are tailored to specific productivity tools or require additional drivers or software to protect a greater breadth of information. Duo’s 2FA solution is designed to work with the broadest range of applications and devices. No matter what you need to protect, Duo can help.

Some 2FA solutions build in the option for device health checks, so administrators can warn users that unless they update their software or change their device settings, they’ll be unable to access the services they need. Duo’s self-remediation features are designed specifically to not only warn or block users based on device health, but also to help users comply with security regulations without needing to get an IT professional involved.

The easier it is for users to meet security standards, the more likely they are to keep their devices compliant—saving administrators a lot of headaches over time.

2FA relies on users to have a device with which to authenticate, so users should generally always be aware of their devices’ locations, and they should be cautious about letting others use their devices. That’s not a security guarantee, though.

Security solutions that install directly onto users’ devices (MDMs, etc.) can often lock or shut down devices remotely, protecting mission-critical information even when a user doesn’t physically have their device with them. Duo works similarly but doesn’t require installation of any additional drivers or software. Users can easily self-enroll in 2FA via an app on their devices. So no matter where in the world they travel or what technology they use, your information stays secure.

With a good adaptive authentication solution, yes! And as the security industry evolves, it becomes ever more important to do so. Remember, the goal of a security policy is to limit access to as few people as possible—and that concept applies at the application level, too. To truly reduce the possibility of a breach, each user should be able to authenticate to as few applications as possible, and their level of access should be based on the information they need to access.