You’ve probably heard of 2FA, or two-factor authentication, but are you aware of all the benefits that using 2FA could bring to your MSP company?
Chances are, your employees are already interested, as while 55% of people don’t currently use 2FA at work, 57% of people have expressed a preference for a login method that does not involve the use of passwords. Why is it gaining popularity, you ask? We’re here to lay it all out for you, so that you can make the most of this must-have feature!
Ease of use
Historically, people thought of 2FA as a difficult hurdle to jump over, an extra step that slowed down business. The benefits of multi-factor authentication have put these doubts to rest, usually a simple case of accessing a code on a user’s smartphone to authenticate a log in or sensitive action alongside their existing password. Think of it like taking money out of an ATM, you need both your card, and your pin number.
With some of the biggest companies in the world offering integration, such as Google Authenticator, Authy, Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, getting involved is as simple as downloading an app from the app stores you use every day, or downloading a Chrome extension to your computer.
The competitive edge
Customers have so many MSP businesses to choose between, each one boasting the latest features – the bells and whistles which could make the difference to their own company. For your MSP company to stand out from the crowd, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. Two-factor authentication is more than just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a potential competitive advantage that could help you go head to head on a client’s shortlist, the lack of which could take you out of the running.
A security extra
Have a think about your suite of security tools. Most of them are likely to be responsive solutions that wait for a problem to occur before they spring into action. In contrast, 2FA is a way of stopping unauthorized access to your credentials or network, and ensuring that only users who have permissions can perform sensitive activities. When your customers look at your own MSP business, they want to see that you have a hold on your IT posture, including security. 2FA is a great way to show them that your security posture is watertight, especially when they are going to trust you with their own data.
In support of remote working
Today’s working environment is nothing like the 9-5 that the previous generation might have been used to. Flexible working is becoming a necessity to attract the latest talent. Whether it’s working from home, stepping out for a meeting at a local coffee shop, or using your phone to troubleshoot on the move, providing remote working opportunities should be on your radar for your employees.
2FA makes this a lot easier, providing an added layer of trust that unknown WiFi connections or new IP addresses can be trusted, and giving your technicians the freedom to become much more location-agnostic, a perk that many millennials believe is more important than a pay-rise.
Don’t just educate – prevent
Education into best practice security procedure can often be ignored, and even with the best will in the world – staff turnover, departmental changes or new hardware or software requirements can make it difficult for employees to keep up with the latest security rules. 2FA simplifies the entire process, giving one clear process for logging in or sensitive actions, easy to include during the onboarding process for a new member of staff, and impossible to work around or fall to human error. 2FA even allows you to take a break from hammering home the dangers of poor password choice, with an added layer of protection that can even strengthen ‘Password123’.
If you haven’t started using two factor authentication yet, what are you waiting for?
Simple to start using, and with many added benefits for either growing or established MSP businesses, 2FA is a proven technique to complete a secure and holistic MSP offering. Our Atera Email Authentication 2FA is available on all price plans, while Authenticator App 2FA is available for Growth and Power plans. If you’re not using it yet, let’s get started!
