What is MFA?
MFA is a technology that considerably increases security of an authentication process. An authentication process is the process of logging in into a service or a portal or website. MFA makes this process more secure by adding another control that is harder to compromise for an attacker. Some examples of these controls are a code sent to your phone or email, a prompt on your phone, or a token. MFA is something used in addition to the use of the username and password.
How do I use MFA?
The first step is to enable MFA, if the service supports it, by following the provided instructions. Once enabled and configured, an MFA control will prompt you to enter the extra piece of information like a code or confirmation prompt on a device, in addition to your regular login. You will do this every time you login to the account.
When should I use MFA?
In the modern world we must deal with a great number of accounts from different services and portals like social media, bank accounts, utilities, email, online shopping sites, government services, etc. I would advise using MFA whenever this control is available from the provider. This will ensure that your account will be secure even if the service provider is breached.
Why should I use MFA?
You may have a crazy complex password of 128 characters using numbers, special symbols, upper and lower-case letters, and all this still may not be enough to be safe, if the provider of a service gets breached or compromised. The presence of MFA will prevent the attackers from getting into your account as they’ll be missing the MFA control that you configured earlier.
The industry is quickly moving towards going passwordless altogether; MFA technology promises to eliminate them as it proves to be the weakest link in the authentication process.