MFA vs 2FA: Which Is Best for Your Business? https://www.techrepublic.com/article/mfa-vs-2fa/?utm_s...

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Topic — Cloud Security

MFA vs 2FA: Which Is Best for Your

Business?
Written By
Published March 15, 2024 Drew Robb

Table of Contents

What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

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Learn the key differences between multi-factor

authentication (MFA) and two-factor authentication (2FA)
and �nd out which one is best for your business needs.

Breaches are more common than ever, phishing scams continue to have success and AI is
helping to take cybercrime to a whole new level. Hornetsecurity’s Cyber Security Report

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2024 analyzed 45 billion emails sent in 2023 — 3.6% were considered malicious. That’s 1.6
billion potentially harmful emails. Almost half of all email-based attacks use phishing to
obtain the passwords of users. If a user falls for a phishing scam and their credentials are
compromised, multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA) provide
an additional safeguard against a breach.

But when is 2FA enough, and when should organizations implement MFA?

What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

MFA uses authentication factors such as a pin, an SMS code, an authenticator code and/or
a biometric (�ngerprint, retina, facial recognition). Some systems also use location
veri�cation as part of the login process. The more factors there are, the harder it is for an
attacker to penetrate accounts and breach an organization.

With MFA active, if a hacker cracks a password, they still need at least one more item to be
able to do any damage. Without it, they are unable to complete the authentication process
to demonstrate they are the actual owner of an account.

What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?

As the name implies, 2FA uses two authentication factors. After the user enters a username
and password, they are prompted to take an added step, such as entering a code from a
mobile phone-based push-noti�cation, an SMS message or some other method.

MFA vs. 2FA: Identifying the differences

The terms 2FA and MFA are sometimes used interchangeably. This is because 2FA is really
a subset of MFA. 2FA involves only one additional authentication factor. MFA loosely means
two or more methods. However, in the strictest de�nition, it entails three – or even more for
high-security situations. Remember the scene from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation where
Benji (Simon Pegg) has to provide a number of items to enter a facility: digital ID card, a
password, retina scan and gait analysis to penetrate a highly secure facility? Well, that’s an
example of MFA taken to the extreme.

MFA pros and cons

MFA is stronger than 2FA, but it also has limitations.

MFA pros
• More factors make it far more dif�cult to break into an account.
• If someone obtains your password, they need further authentication factors to breach
an account.
• If a user’s bank card is lost and the PIN is compromised, the criminal still needs a

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biometric or other code before they can access funds.

MFA cons
• If MFA lacks a biometric factor, an account is a little easier to hack as criminals have
learned phishing techniques to obtain SMS codes by compromising phones as well as
desktops and laptops.
• Sign-in is made more complex and can slow productivity.
• MFA implementation is more sophisticated than 2FA and tends to be more expensive as
well as more demanding on IT and security personnel.
• MFA may require software upgrades or run into software compatibility issues.

2FA pros and cons

2FA may not be as strong as MFA, but it does have certain bene�ts.

2FA pros
• Fewer factors make it easier for a user to enter an account and perform tasks.
• The more authentication factors there are, the higher is user resistance. 2FA keeps
things simple.
• If someone obtains a user credential, they at least have one more hurdle they need to
cross before they can cause any harm.
• 2FA systems are simpler than MFA.

2FA cons
• Most 2FA generally relies on the use of a smartphone as part of veri�cation and hackers
have learned how to compromise phones.
• For �nancial data, con�dential and sensitive �les, organizations need several additional
layers of protection, not just one.
• Many users are not as diligent when it comes to safeguarding against security threats
on their phone compared to how they behave on their laptop or desktop.

When Is 2FA Better?

Organizations should gravitate toward 2FA for routine traf�c that doesn’t require high
security. 2FA is probably enough for many consumers. And in organizations where
applications, systems and users don’t deal with sensitive or con�dential data, 2FA should
be enough. After all, 2FA promises a smoother and simpler user experience. And if the
budget is tight, 2FA can be less costly than MFA.

When Is MFA Better?

For organizational users, MFA can be more secure as it requires extra authentication
factors. While some may not need that level of protection, others do. Even at an individual

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level, a personal bank account should be safeguarded by MFA. MFA that includes a
biometric is the ideal way to go for con�dential and �nancial information. And for sensitive
organizational �les as well as people working in executive, IT, HR, �nancial and other
prominent organizational positions, MFA helps maintain a higher level of security.

Should your organization use MFA or 2FA?

Many organizations don’t yet use 2FA or MFA. The implementation of either one can be a
major step toward increased protection. Vade Secure reports that phishing attacks are
steadily increasing. They rose by 173% in the third quarter of 2023. In one month alone,
over 200 million phishing emails were sent. Even if a tiny percentage of these attempts are
successful, it represents a vast number of compromised credentials. 2FA and MFA make life
more dif�cult for hackers.

MFA is the way to go for any organization that needs to protect con�dential or sensitive
information. But for others, 2FA may be suf�cient. It is less expensive, easier to implement
and simpler to maintain. For those facilitating between 2FA and MFA, though, a small
difference in price and an additional implementation and maintenance burden on IT may be
a small price to pay to prevent a serious breach.

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Drew Robb
Originally from Scotland, Drew Robb has been a full-time freelance writer for 25
years. He lives in Florida and specializes in IT, engineering and business.

See all of Drew's content

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Subscribe to the Cloud Insider Newsletter

This is your go-to resource for the latest news and tips on the following topics and more, XaaS,
AWS, Microsoft Azure, DevOps, virtualization, the hybrid cloud, and cloud security. Delivered
Mondays and Wednesdays

Email Address Work Email Address

By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe

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