Any business that wants to improve their security and reduce the risk of unauthorised access to their systems, data, and resources should show interest in two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA.
However, it is particularly important for businesses that deal with sensitive or confidential information, such as financial or medical data, as well as those that handle online payments or other types of transactions. Also, all website designers should direct their clients towards two-factor authentication before launching their site.
Why is 2FA Necessary?
Two-factor authentication is expected to become the norm in online security, because of the increasing need for stronger security measures as cyberthreats and data breaches keep increasing, year after year. Society as a whole, on a worldwide level, relies more and more on digital technology. It can be seen by the increase of online services in many sectors, such as communication, banking, e-commerce.
Cybercriminals keep costing more to people and companies around the world and not only in the business sectors that we have mentioned. Therefore, anything that can be done to protect personal accounts has become a primary necessity. In this fight, one of the proven methods is two-factor authentication, such as the one offered by SMS Astral. It adds an extra layer of security to the login process, by requiring users to provide two forms of verification instead of one.
More from Tech
- How Can Crypto and Blockchain Technology Contribute Meaningfully to Tackling Financial Exclusion?
- World Bicycle Day: Tech Used At The 2025 Giro d’Italia
- Meet Ada: The Accurate Carbon Insights Tool
- Tech And Apps For Your Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Spreadsheet SDKs and the Role they Play in Modern Retail Data Management
- How Reliable Data Access Protects Businesses From Unexpected Downtime
- UK Finance Firms At Risk Of Digital Exclusion Ahead of Global Accessibility Day
- Why Does Adtech Keep Rebranding The Same Thing?
Companies that have added this security method for their customers have significantly reduced the risk of unauthorised access to their system, and to the data that it hosts. For even if a password is compromised, this information still won’t be sufficient for illegal entry into the account by any criminal who would like to do so.
We have seen, since the inception of the internet, that passwords can easily be stolen. Sometimes all a cybercriminal needs to do is to guess the password, which is often weak. It leaves systems vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which then leads to identity theft and other types of online crimes. Two-factor authentication can effectively prevent unauthorised access, even if a password is compromised or vulnerable.
Who Needs 2FA?
As we said in the introduction, there is no reason why a company should not install a two-factor authentication system for its customers or to users of their servers, including their own employees. It will always protect everyone better, and today security is priority number one, online. This being said, there are some companies, associations and groups that cannot continue to work with just a simple password. They include government agencies, non-profit organisations and other entities that handle sensitive information, such as banks and hospitals.
The same is true about all e-commerce. Any online boutique needs to call upon the services of a company that installs a two-factor authentication protection for the use of their users. Indeed, all online payments and transactions require a higher level of security, which should start with 2FA. In the end, it will help them to protect their data, as well as their reputation, which could easily be destroyed if a leak were to happen for lack of security on their website.
How Does 2FA Take Place?
Two-factor authentication (2FA) works by requiring users to provide two different forms of identification before they can access an account, a system, or any other resources. The first one being the password in most cases.
In fact, common forms of identification used in 2FA include an element that the user already possesses (such as a password or PIN, as we already mentioned) and something the user will be provided with, when he tries to connect (such as a physical key or a code sent to a smartphone). It can also take the form of biometric data.
This second element, whichever is the one chosen by the company, adds an extra layer of security, making it more difficult for unauthorised users to gain access. That is true, even if they have illegally obtained the login credentials for a specific account.
That is because only once both parts of the equation are confirmed and verified will the user be able to access the account that he is trying to reach. It is clear that this helps prevent unauthorised access by ensuring that even if one factor of authentication is compromised, the criminal will most probably not have access to the second form of authentication that he would need to gain access.
Let us conclude by saying that requiring users to provide two factors of authentication, can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrimes. Any company, association or other entity that hasn’t moved on to 2FA, are placing themselves and their users at risk.
