User permissions and two-factor authentication are a vital element of any robust security infrastructure. They help reduce the risk of malicious insider attacks or accidental data breaches and ensure compliance with regulations.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires a user to enter credentials from two distinct categories to log into an account. It could be something the user knows (passwords, PIN codes, security questions), something they possess (one-time verification code sent to their mobile or an authenticator application) or something they ARE (fingerprints or a face scan, or retinal scan).

Often the 2FA is a subset of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) that has more than two. MFA is a common requirement in certain industries, including healthcare (because of the strict HIPAA regulations), ecommerce and banking. The COVID-19 virus outbreak has also raised the importance of security for organizations that require two-factor authentication.

Enterprises are living beings and here are the findings their security infrastructures are constantly changing. Users have roles that change as do hardware capabilities and complex systems are accessible to users. It is crucial to regularly examine the two-factor authentication strategies regularly to ensure they keep up with the latest developments. One way to accomplish this is to use adaptive authentication. This is a kind of contextual authentication that will trigger policies based on how it is used, when and when a login request is received. Duo provides a central administrator dashboard that allows you to easily manage and set these kinds of policies.