Now more than ever, cybersecurity is a top-of-mind concern for business leaders in all industries. With countless employees working on personal devices from home, password security is more important than ever before. Luckily, Two-Factor Authentication, or 2FA, makes it easy for business teams to beef up their online account security. However, many business professionals aren’t exactly sure what 2FA is, and many of them still aren’t using critical technology. Read on for the inside scoop on 2FA, how it works, and why now is the time to implement it.

Wondering What 2FA Is? You’re Not Alone.

Our team of strategic IT experts gets questions all the time from business leaders about how to improve cybersecurity in their operational workforce. More specifically, we’ve been getting a lot of recent questions about 2FA or Two-Factor Authentication. 2FA has become a standard security measure for many financial service organizations and online service providers. Business leaders are curious – what exactly is 2FA, and if major companies are using it, should they be using it too? The short answer to the second half of this question is YES – all businesses should be implementing 2FA technology if they haven’t already. But before we explain why, let’s breakdown what 2FA is and how it works. What is 2FA? Let’s start by defining 2FA. Two-Factor-Authentication, or 2FA, acts as an additional layer of security to strategically protect web-based services like online bank accounts and other commonly used online tools and services that house protected data. 2FA helps ensure that only authorized users get access to these systems and prevent hackers or unauthorized users from gaining access. Okay, But How Exactly Does 2FA Work? When 2FA is implemented, users login with their regular usernames and passwords for business accounts, however, the next step is where 2FA breaks with the traditional login process. 2FA can take many forms, but in all cases, it requires that users provide two types of verification before being granted access to their online business accounts. Some 2FA solutions will send a code to a pre-designated email or phone number. These access codes change frequently and, once received, are entered as a second means of verifying user identity. Other solutions might ask you to provide a new PIN, an answer to a security question, or even biometric data like fingerprints, iris scans, and voice or facial recognition. It sounds complicated, but in practice, 2FA is a straightforward and reliable extra layer of security that helps to protect business data seamlessly. No matter which type of 2FA you decide to implement, the premise is the same – users will be prompted to verify their identity by successfully clearing two points of entry. First, with the traditional username and password, and second with some additional means of verification as listed above. Only when both points of entry have been successfully verified will users gain access to their online business account. Why is 2FA So Important? Let’s face it; the days of relying only on a username and password to protect online accounts are long gone. Hackers are getting more sophisticated every day, and with more and more people working from home, the opportunities for hackers to exploit weak spots and gain unauthorized access to business data are growing. This is why 2FA is such a valuable tool to implement in your virtual office. With 2FA in place, you and your team will have the peace of mind knowing that your business applications, web services, and data are more secure than they would be with basic password protocols. You’ll rest assured knowing that every time a user attempts to access business data – from wherever they may be logging on – that they will have to verify their identity with not one, but two secure authorizations.

Convinced? Reach Out for 2FA Implementation Support ASAP!

If your company isn’t already using 2FA technology to keep business accounts, services, and data secure, now is the time to make the change. As we mentioned, while 2FA sounds complicated, it’s surprisingly easy to implement and will offer a whole new sense of security for your business – especially in these uncertain times. If your organization is ready to implement 2FA solutions, reach out to the team of IT security experts from initial.IT. Our team of strategic business IT professionals will work with you to determine the best 2FA strategies for your organization, and we’ll help you implement and optimize the technology. Don’t wait for critical accounts or data to be hacked because of weak password protocols. Give us a call at {phone}, drop us a line at {email}, or visit our website at www.initialit.net to chat with a live agent or book a consultation.