Protecting Your Online Accounts: Best Practices for Strong Authentication 2023
As the twenty-first century
progresses, safeguarding our data is more important than ever.
According to an analysis, the average
data breach cost is already $4.35 million, and this figure will only rise.
To keep your data secure in 2023, enterprises should be aware of the most
recent security threats and act to protect themselves.
In this article, we will outline
the best practices for strong authentication in 2023. Read on.
1. Use Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA, or multi-factor authentication,
adds many stages to the login process. If a hacker has breached one of the
factors, the chances of another being compromised are low; hence having several
authentication factors provides a higher level of certainty about user login
security.
However, remember that each
security layer in a multi-factor authentication should be guarded by a separate
tag: something your customers know, have, or are. For example, if your customer
has assigned their phone number as the second tier of authentication, a one-time
password will be sent to the phone. As a result, if hackers do not have the
phone, they cannot obtain the code, which means they cannot log in.
Significantly, you should Metaverify your accounts to build customer trust and
credibility. This will ensure that hackers cannot use your account to target
your customers, as it would lack the verification source.
2. Increase Password Length and Reduce the Focus
on Password Complexity
In the past, password security
advice has mainly emphasized the establishment of difficult passwords, although
this frequently leads to reusing existing passwords with small variations.
"Complexity requirements place an extra burden on users, many of whom will
use predictable patterns to meet the required 'complexity' criteria,"
according to the National
Cyber Security Council.
Attackers know these methods and
utilize this knowledge to improve their attacks. The National Institute of
Standards and Technology- NIST and Microsoft propose a minimum password length
of 8 characters for user-generated passwords, with a maximum password length of
64 characters for more critical accounts. This enables the use of passphrases. A
passphrase is a password comprising a sentence or a string of words. It helps
users remember lengthier passwords and makes brute-force guessing harder for
hackers.