Have you ever felt annoyed by the flood of notifications from your multi-factor authentication (MFA) app? Well, cyber criminals have too, and they are taking advantage of “MFA fatigue” to try to gain access to your sensitive business data.

MFA is essential for keeping your data secure. It adds an extra layer of security to your apps and accounts by asking you to verify your identity in two or more ways, such as a password and a separate code that has been sent to your phone.

These constant alerts can be overwhelming though. This is where the attackers will pounce. They know that getting these alerts can be frustrating and they will bombard your employees-sometimes in the middle of the night – with a constant stream of MFA notifications. This makes it more likely that someone will authenticate a login attempt through frustration, tiredness or just to get the notifications to stop.

There is now a new weapon in the fight against MFA fatigue.

Microsoft Authenticator has introduced number matching as a way of making sure your MFA notification is from the correct login attempt, preventing cyber criminals from taking advantage of notification fatigue.

How does number matching work then? When you receive an MFA notification, the app will display a randomly generated number. You then need to input this number to authenticate the login attempt and prove you are not a cyber criminal trying to gain access to your business data. That is not all though. Microsoft authenticator also allows for biometric authentication, which means you can use your face, fingerprint or other unique physical feature to prove your identity and combat the threat of MFA fatigue attacks.

With these security measures in place, your business can stay ahead of cyber criminals and keep your sensitive data better protected. If you already use Microsoft Authenticator, number matching is ready to use. Simply make sure your app is up to date and you will be protected.

If you use another MFA system, and want to look at how to make your security better or easier, we can help. Get in touch!

 

Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.