Three Cherries Guide to Two Factor Authentication

 

In today’s digital world, it is becoming paramount to ensure that all of your data is secure and inaccessible to any users with malicious intent. Ranging from online banking to social media, it is crucial that your personal information is kept secure. This is where Two Factor Authentication comes into its own. Creating another step to login which is only accessible by you, your data is safer than ever. In this blog, we will highlight the importance of implementing 2FA and how Three Cherries as a leading Bristol IT support company can ensure it is setup and working correctly for you.

 

What is Two Factor Authentication?

Two-factor authentication or 2FA for short, is a type of Multi-factor authentication used to ensure a greater level of security of your data. This works by the user installing an app on another device which they then link to the account. This means that every time you attempt to login, you will have to go onto the app on your phone and implement the 6-digit code which appears onto the website to finalise your login. This means that any users trying to hack into your account will not be able to get any further than the code stage and they will not have access to this, meaning that your data will still be safe.

Why use Two Factor Authentication?

The reasons for using Two-factor authentication heavily outweigh the reasons not to. 2FA is a secure and straightforward way to ensure that your data is a step further away from any malicious intent. With most users now having smartphones with the ability to download an app for this, now is the best time to migrate your business accounts to 2FA to ensure your business and personal data security. There are other types of multi factor authentication such as a OTP (One Time Passcode) which is sent to the account holder to verify.

 

What is Needed to Implement Two Factor Authentication?

To implement Two-factor authentication, you will firstly need an application or website which supports 2FA for your account. Examples of these include Microsoft Office 365, Google, PayPal or LinkedIn. You will also need another device such as a smartphone or tablet which has access to an App Store or an area to install applications. You will then need to install an app such as Microsoft Authenticator. This will then need to be linked to your accounts you wish to add 2FA to. You will be prompted to implement this code on every new login/ device. After a set period of inactivity, you may be asked to re-insert a code as a security measure. This will not be frequent, however. Three Cherries as a leading Bristol IT support provider understand the need for heightened levels of security in this current era and are able to implement 2FA across your business.

What are the Benefits of Two Factor Authentication?

1. High levels of security: With Two-factor authentication linked to your accounts, data is kept safe behind another barrier to users with malicious intent. Without them having your device used to receive 2FA codes, they are unable to access your data. This means that even if your password does get breached or leaked, there is another step which they cannot get through. With increasing amounts of data being stored online it is important that it is protected properly.

 

2. Ease of use: Now with most people having access to a smart device of their own, the majority of people will be able to download the authenticator app of choice and link it to their account. Most apps also support being logged into by fingerprint or face nowadays meaning that there isn’t a long-winded process to get onto the app. The interfaces of the 2FA applications are also designed to be simple and straightforward to allow a large sum of users to navigate and understand the application instantly meaning there are no huge learning curves.

 

3. Secure Remote Access: With the new normal of home working, it is vital to ensure that employees can access their files and documents from home in a secure way meaning that the security of the business isn’t compromised. This is where Two-factor authentication really shines as it means that anyone outside of the office needing to access the system will be required to implement the code and therefore making it ultra secure.

 

4. Cost Savings: Data breaches are a costly event for any business. This is due to the repairs, reinstatement and the disruption of operations. By upgrading your security, this will ensure that you don’t face these costly incidents and therefore saving your revenue stream in the long term.

 

5. Early Warning Against Breaches: With Two-factor authentication implemented, if there are any attempts to login or beaches, you will be alerted to this and consequently urged to change your login credentials to ensure that you’re protected. At Three Cherries, we can take further measures on these breach alerts to provide you an increased level of detail and protection.

 

How can Three Cherries Help your Business Implement 2FA?

At Three Cherries as a leading IT support provider in Bristol, we understand that it is at the upmost importance to ensure that your data is secure and safe from any malicious intent of hackers. Therefore, we are able to implement Two Factor Authentication in Bristol and train staff remotely on how to use 2FA and provide support on this important service. Three Cherries are able to simplify this process of setup and ensure that any gambles and risks in setup aren’t taken by your business to make sure your security is as high as possible. Contact Three Cherries to find out how we can implement Two-factor authentication into your business today.