Which Form Of MFA Is The Most Secure?

August 31, 2022

Credential theft is now at an all-time high and is responsible for more data breaches than any other type of attack.

With data and business processes now largely cloud-based, a user’s password is the quickest and easiest way to conduct many different types of dangerous activities.

One of the best ways to protect your online accounts, data, and business operations is with multifactor authentication (MFA).

It provides a significant barrier to cybercriminals even if they have a legitimate user credential to log in.

This is because they most likely will not have access to the device that receives the MFA code required to complete the authentication process.

What Are the Three Main Methods of MFA?

When you implement multi-factor authentication at your business, it’s important to compare the three main methods of MFA and not just assume all methods are the same.

There are key differences that make some more secure than others and some more convenient. Let’s take a look at what these three methods are:

SMS-based

The form of MFA that people are most familiar with is SMS-based.

This one uses text messaging to authenticate the user.

The user will typically enter their mobile number when setting up MFA. Then, whenever they log into their account, they will receive a text message with a time-sensitive code that must be entered.

On-Device Prompt In An App

Another type of multi-factor authentication will use a special app to push through the code. The user still generates the MFA code at log in, but rather than receiving the code via SMS, it’s received through the app.

This is usually done via a push notification, and it can be used with a mobile app or desktop app in many cases.

Security Key

The third key method of MFA involves using a separate security key that you can insert into a PC or mobile device to authenticate the login.

The key itself is purchased at the time the MFA solution is set up and will be the thing that receives the authentication code and implements it automatically.

The MFA security key is typically smaller than a traditional thumb drive and must be carried by the user to authenticate when they log into a system.

Now, let’s look at the differences between these three methods.

Most Convenient Form of MFA?

The most convenient form of MFA would be the SMS-based MFA. Most people are already used to getting text messages on their phones so there is no new interface to learn and no app to install.

The SMS-based is actually the least secure because there is malware out there now that can clone a SIM card, which would allow a hacker to get those MFA text messages.

Most Secure Form of MFA?

If your company handles sensitive data in a cloud platform then it may be in your best interest to go for better security.

The most secure form of MFA is the security key. The security key, being a separate device altogether, won’t leave your accounts unprotected in the event of a mobile phone being lost or stolen. Both the SMS-based and app-based versions would leave your accounts at risk in this scenario.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: ,

Work-From-Home Precautions For Your Network

October 29, 2021

Mark Funchion is a network technician at Tech Experts.

As our world has shifted to a heavy work-from-home environment, it is important that you do what you can to make sure your business’s network is secure, whether your employees are working from home or in the office.

Working from home can pose many challenges. The first involves the device the employee uses. If they have a company-issued laptop and you implemented a VPN, then great, you’re fairly secure.

What do you do if they are using their own home PC? Do they have anti-virus? Are they accessing documents through a common cloud storage location, such as OneDrive or Dropbox?

If so, that can cause issues because that home PC may have other users who are not careful about what they download or what emails they open. If that PC is infected and your employee connects to shared storage, your business may become infected.

For these reasons, you should really consider only allowing access to your data over a VPN that your employees must log into. Do not share files through cloud storage unless you are sure the devices connecting are secure.

This means you may need to provide anti-virus to your users. Yes, it’s an expense, but it’s much cheaper than recovering from a ransomware attack because an employee’s 12-year-old downloaded a Fortnite “hack” to get more V-Bucks.

Next, push the use of two-factor authentication (2FA) and password managers. Having a simple password like “CompanyVPN1!” won’t cut it.

Force your users to use strong and varied passwords. Now, those can be difficult to remember, so it may be a good investment to look into a corporate password manager. This will securely store passwords and make it easier for employees to use stronger credentials.

In addition to better passwords, use 2FA. This security measure sends a verification code to your employee via email or text when they log into secure apps or websites. It’s another extra step, but again, the more precautions you take, the better off your security will be. Just because your employee logged in from home with a strong password doesn’t mean it’s actually your employee. That second authentication makes it much more difficult for the end user’s information to be gained by cybercriminals.

Educate your employees about using public Wi-Fi as well. It’s nice to sit in a comfy chair at Panera and enjoy a bagel and coffee while responding to emails, but who else is on that network? If they must do this, then using a VPN and 2FA are a must.

These are a lot of scary things, but don’t lose sleep. Be diligent in securing your network. If you allow work-from-home, be prepared to invest in setting up VPNs, 2FA, password managers, and anti-virus software for your employees. This time and due diligence will greatly help you prevent your data and network from becoming compromised.

Also, remember you are not in this alone: Tech Experts is here to help. If you want to secure your network for remote work, reach out to us at (734) 457-5000. We secured our own network so we can work remotely and have the expertise to help you do the same.

Filed Under: Work From Home Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make Remembering Passwords A Thing Of The Past

March 31, 2021

Using weak passwords is risky. So is using the same password across different services.

If you do this, it means that once somebody has your email address and password, they’ll find it incredibly easy to access your other accounts.

This can wreak havoc on your digital life and within your business. And the damage can spill over into serious real-world inconvenience too.

This is especially true if identity theft is involved, or if they’ve managed to break into your social media or bank accounts.

Data breaches happen every day. And once your passwords and email addresses are out there, you never know whose hands they’ll end up in (many get sold on something called the
Dark Web, a kind of hidden internet for criminals).

But what can you do to keep your passwords safe and your digital accounts secure?

Use a password manager
Instead of scratching your head to come up with a new password for each account, use a password manager to automatically generate long, random, strong passwords.

It’ll also remember them for you. You only need to remember one password… the master password to access the password manager.

The best password managers let you customize how long your passwords are, and what kind of characters they should include. And will keep them 100% safe while still giving you easy access across all your devices.

We can set you up with an Enterprise Password Manager (the one we use) and train you and your team on how to best use it – simply get in touch!

Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA)
As well as setting up a password manager, turn on multi factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible. When you log in to your accounts, you’ll need to enter an additional security code as second means of keeping your account secure.

These codes can be sent to you by text message or email. Better still, you can set up an authentication app on your phone that refreshes with unique codes every few seconds. Some applications also support a hardware security key that you plug into your computer or that displays security codes that rotate every 60 seconds.

Multi-factor authentication is available on most software and is considered a highly effective tool against hackers.

Even if they’ve got your login details they can’t get in without your phone.

We recommend you implement this for all apps your staff use.

After an initial bit of discomfort, they’ll soon get used to it. We can guide you and your team through the whole process – just give us a call!

Filed Under: Password Security Tagged With: , , ,

Are You Using Multi-factor Authentication Yet?

August 28, 2020

Robust security is key for storing data. Cyber-criminals are targeting all businesses all the time, using clever automated tools to sniff out weaknesses they can exploit. Don’t make it easy for them.

Multi-factor authentication gives you another level of security when logging into apps.

What is it? You’ve probably used it when you log into your bank account. You enter your password, then on the next screen, you click to have a code texted to your phone, which you enter as a second, single-use password.

The thing is, it’s not just for your bank. You can use it to access many applications.

It’s simple to set up, and you can use it for any account that holds data you’d rather not fall into the wrong hands.

There are lots of different ways to do multi-factor authentication to protect your business’s data:

• The text message approach: That’s lots better than nothing, but is the least secure multi-factor authentication
• Generate a code on your cell phone: This is better
• Have a special small USB device that must be plugged into your laptop

If you’re unsure how to set this up, please give us a call at (734) 457-5000. We’d love to help.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: ,