Tower MSA Partners’ Chief Technology Officer Jesse Shade published an article through the Forbes Technology Council, reminding fellow IT professionals that many technology users do not fully understand cybersecurity. When IT professionals explain why certain security practices are important, users are more likely to follow them.

Here is Jesse’s explanation of multifactor authentication, or MFA:

MFA stands for multifactor authentication. It is a security solution that requires more than one method of proving, or authenticating, your identity. You have already used MFA if you have ever logged into an online account and were asked to:

• Receive a verification code via text or email.
• Provide an answer to a security question.
• Receive a verification code through an authenticator application on a phone or computer.
• Use biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, on your computer or phone.

The rationale behind MFA is that if a bad actor gains access to your username and password, they are unlikely to also have the mobile phone or computer where you receive the second authentication factor. It is even less likely that they will have your fingerprint, retinal scan, or the answers to your security questions. Multiple factors authenticate that you are who you say you are, hence MFA.

How to Help the Masses Make Sense of Cybersecurity is a must-read article about the role IT professionals play in preparing non-IT technology users to serve as the frontline cybersecurity force they must be.

To learn more, contact Tower MSA Partners Chief Technology Officer Jesse Shade.

Related: Building a Better Tower: Cybersecurity