2-factor authentication, the security solution
Romain Didelot
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Introduction
Security on the web is an issue for everyone. Protecting your company's sensitive information, and that of your customers, is a vital task for which the simple duo of login and password is no longer sufficient. The compromise of a single credential can lead directly to the success of a cyber attack. For this reason, dual authentication is the ideal tool for securing connections. Find out why 2FA (two-factor authentication) is so essential to protecting your business, and why the SMS OTP (one-time-password) is the best way to implement double verification.
What is two-factor authentication?
Double authentication, commonly known as 2FA or two-step verification, is a method of protecting a personal account by means of a second identification step, usually a code called an OTP, or verification number, sent by message with maximum priority and valid for a few minutes. This code, received on your cell phone via your telephone number, can also be sent by authentication software such as Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator, by push notification or by e-mail.
Information
2FA by SMS lets you manage OTP code generation on your own. This gives you complete control over code creation, validity times and the security of the entire authentication system.
This method enhances web security by adding an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access: the recipient's telephone number.
Dual authentication differs from multi-factor authentication in the number of elements used. With MFA (Multi-factor authentication), three elements are used:
What are the authentication factors?
Multi-factor authentication is divided into 3 distinct proofs of identity corresponding to 3 validation steps:
- Something to know, like a code
- Something you own, like a card, a mobile phone
- Something you are, like a fingerprint, facial or voice recognition.
In practical terms, on an online account, logging in with a username and password is the first trigger. The second is the smartphone in your possession, to which the SMS OTP is sent, a text message containing the code to be typed in, proving that the phone is indeed yours.
Use cases of the 2FA
While this method is well known for validating online payments (still in use in Europe until the introduction of DSP2 regulations), it is becoming increasingly popular for other applications:
- Access to a business account
- A cryptocurrency wallet
- A merchant account containing sensitive information
- Resetting a forgotten password.
- Creating a verified account
- Payment validation for pro banks (Qonto, Spendesk...)
Examples of security request messages :
[SenderID]
To access your account, please complete the two-factor identification by entering the security code sent to your device.
[SenderID]
To increase the security of your account, please configure 2FA authentication via SMS to reduce the risk of hacking.
Why your company needs 2FA
A first factor - login or email + password - can easily be hacked.
Using two-step validation - on 2 separate devices - reduces the risk of cyber-attack, and limits the theft or loss of personal or business information.
An asset to enhance your customers' protection
Some people already use 2FA in their daily lives, to secure their online banking activities, clouds, shopping or email platforms, social networks or password managers. Being proactive in this field by offering your customers a solution that enhances their online security is bound to be an asset.
By introducing 2FA, merchants are helping to provide a secure experience that strengthens the customer relationship.
Users obviously want their online solutions to be simple and transparent, but that doesn't mean they'll tolerate security loopholes. The rise in fraud and the increased use of digital payments mean that an additional authentication solution is needed for sensitive information.
A real additional security barrier for your online business services
A simple password is no longer enough. Access to personal information by malicious individuals can be devastating, and most businesses are no better protected against cyber-attacks than private accounts.
A corporate email account can be compromised by phishing or identity theft, and become an entry point for stealing strategic information or even money. If a password can be reset by email, access to your platform is child's play.
Passwords already used elsewhere and made public can be used to access a business account. 73% of passwords are used for more than one account, which is just as many chances for a successful hack.
Two identification factors: the solution to 99.9% of your security problems
Many attacks can indeed be thwarted by training employees in cyber security, using strong, unique passwords or anti-phishing training. But this kind of process has a cost for companies, and we're all human, so we're all susceptible to inattentiveness. What's more, with the democratization of teleworking, connection to professional accounts outside the company is on the rise, increasing the chances of errors and therefore cyber-attacks.
With two-factor authentication, you don't have to put the security of your business solely on the shoulders of your employees.
With 2FA, cracking or recovering a password will no longer be enough to gain access. This strong authentication gives you an additional security barrier that blocks more than 99.9% of account compromise attacks. (1). Whether it's phishing, bots or leaking credentials to another site.
To avoid breaches, some organizations go so far as to do away with the traditional password, relying on the last two factors or using TOTP (a key that uses the time stamp to create a sequence of characters, shared by the user and a server).
The 2FA in figures
- Microsoft records over 300 million fraudulent connection attempts to its cloud solutions every day.
- (1) Adding a recovery phone number to your Google account can block up to 100% of automated bots, 99% of mass phishing attacks and 66% of targeted attacks. (Google study in collaboration with the Universities of New York and San Diego)
- +400 million accounts have had their credentials compromised in a data breach (source: Haveibeenpwned)
Why sending OTP messages is the best way to implement 2FA
Simple, agile, reliable, inexpensive and fast, SMS is the universal solution that everyone knows how to use.
2FA is certainly possible with an instant messaging application, push notifications or an authentication application, but you need to be sure that your employees or customers have these applications, or can afford them. Also, this type of solution relies on the security of the application used. So it's best to be sure of your partner.
SMS has the huge advantage of being natively present on all mobiles, and can be received by everyone, from the latest smartphone to the oldest mobile. There's no need to download, create an account on an application or pay for a package to benefit from authentication services.
Easy to set up, the cost of OTP can be adapted to your budget, making it applicable to everyone, from SMEs to major corporations. It enables you to reach all profiles without limiting your action to a single community, such as users of a single instant messenger or an external application that generates TOTPs (Time-based One-Time Password).
With SMS :
- No compatibility issues
- Acceptance guarantee
- Quick opening
SMS is also ideal for password recovery. A third of all online purchases are abandoned because of a forgotten password, so providing your customers with a quick and easy way to recover their account can benefit you both financially and in terms of customer experience and brand image.
Our "best practices" guide will show you how to implement a 2FA service.
Why choose smsmode© to implement 2FA
Two-factor identification is essential to secure access to web services, adding an extra layer of protection after the password has been entered.
Access to personal data must be fast and secure, so SMS must work every time.
With smsmode©️, your OTP codes have priority. Our status as a telecom aggregator with ARCEP offers you :
- A direct operator connection
- Instant reception of your shipments
- Access to a high-performance dedicated channel
- Permanent surveillance via monitoring tools
- A very attractive rate.
Consumers and employees alike can't wait to receive their codes. Employees may become impatient and deactivate the 2FA system, putting themselves at risk. As for customers, they could also abandon their purchasing action for lack of codes, so getting them back is essential. This is why the 2FA method is important, as is the solution chosen to implement it.
2FA with smsmode© in 3 points
A telecom operator ARCEP
Recognized as a mobile service provider telecom operator with ARCEPyou benefit from direct connection to operators through the services smsmode©. So you can be sure that we won't be using no roamingwhich offers a high quality And reliability for your send SMS OTP.
Personal data protection
In accordance with our agreement with the CNIL and our ISO 27001 & 27701 certifications, all data imported into our services is confidential, and we guarantee that our contact files will not be used by third parties.
A long-standing player in messaging
Since 2004the mobile messaging provider smsmode© offers tools forsending and receiving SMS via API. The company is constantly improving the services it offers, and is looking forward to more than 10,000 customers for a volume of more than 100 million SMS sent per month.
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