Having MFA is necessary in today’s world, where security is an arms race between the good and the bad guys. This evidence is something you know (password or PIN), something you have (smartphone app verification, one-time passcode, or a USB key), or something you are (fingerprint or facial recognition).įigure 1: How it works: Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication | Microsoft Docs When enforced in M365/Azure or other systems, you verify your identity by presenting two or more pieces of evidence that you are indeed who you say you are. In a nutshell, Multi-factor authentication is a multi-step process for verifying your identity. Hackers may try and get access for a variety of reasons, all of which are nefarious. Organizations everywhere are enforcing MFA in Microsoft 365 to bolster their security against an ever-expanding threat of hackers and data thieves looking to gain access into your organizations environment. It is also known as Two-Factor Authentication or 2FA. You may already be familiar with Multi-Factor Authentication, or MFA for short.

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