Ransomware attacks are one of the most devastating cyber threats that organisations face today, this blog discusses how you can reduce your risk of ransomware attack with Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)

Since the pandemic, ransomware attacks have increased 150%, and the risk to business is so great that the US government has deemed ransomware a form of cyber terrorism. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) plays an important role in any ransomware prevention and response strategy.

These attacks involve hackers gaining unauthorised access to an organisation’s systems, encrypting important data, and demanding a ransom in exchange for the decryption key. While there are various measures that organisations can take to prevent ransomware attacks, one of the most effective is implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA). 

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

Multi-factor authentication is a security process that requires users to provide multiple forms of identification to access a system or application. Typically, MFA involves a combination of something the user knows (such as a password), something the user has (such as a security token or smartphone), and/or something the user is (such as a biometric identifier like a fingerprint or facial recognition).

How Does MFA Work?

MFA works by adding an extra layer of security to the authentication process. When a user attempts to access a system or application, they will be prompted to provide their username and password (the “something they know”). Once they have entered their credentials, they will be prompted to provide an additional form of identification, such as a code generated by a security token or a fingerprint scan. If the user cannot provide the additional form of identification, they will be denied access to the system or application.

A powerful and reliable MFA solution that can help safeguard your organisation against ransomware attacks is Duo.

Recommended by ITeam Consulting, Duo is a user-friendly and easily deployable solution that can scale up or down to meet your organisation’s needs. Whether you use on-prem or cloud applications, Duo MFA is vendor-agnostic and can be quickly deployed to meet compliance regulations.

But what really sets Duo MFA apart is its ability to help mitigate ransomware attacks on multiple fronts. With overlapping security coverage, Duo MFA can protect your organisation from ransomware in three crucial ways:

First, it can prevent ransomware from gaining an initial foothold in your environment. This is key to stopping ransomware before it can do any real damage.

Second, it can slow down or even prevent the spread of ransomware if it manages to infiltrate your organisation. This buys you crucial time to respond and mitigate the attack.

And finally, it can protect your critical assets and parts of your organisation even while an attacker still has a presence in your environment. This is crucial for maintaining continuity and minimising the impact of an attack until full remediation can be achieved.

If you’re serious about protecting your organisation against ransomware attacks, speak to ITeam Consulting about implementing Duo as your first line of defence.