JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2025ENTERPRISE SECURITY| | 19MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA): LEVERAGING A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACHPREVENTION STRATEGIESLike detection, prevention can be split into two categories: real-time and near real-time. Real-time prevention uses policy management strategies to decide whether to allow, deny or challenge customer actions. Since customers now expect immediate access to their accounts, real-time decision-making is crucial for balancing risk mitigation and user experience.Near real-time prevention applies to transactions with less strict service-level agreements (SLAs), such as ACH transfers, wire transactions and onboarding processes. In these cases, analysts have more time to review the transactions manually before deciding. Whether in real-time or near real-time, prevention outcomes feed into an alert management system, allowing teams to operate efficiently.TYING MFA INTO THE PROCESSOften, MFA controls are triggered as a result of these prevention measures. Depending on the policy or the reviewer's decision, the customer may be asked for additional validation to confirm the request's authenticity. These validation requests can offer valuable data for detection and prevention. For example, if a user is prompted to validate an action via a token or passkey, behavioral biometrics can be captured during the allow/deny process. This data can be fed back into detection systems to improve future investigations.THE ROLE OF REMEDIATIONRemediation, often overlooked, is an integral part of the strategy. People are frequently the weakest link in any security system, so troubleshooting or servicing requests must be handled securely. Solutions like voice biometrics, phone analytics and well-trained support staff with access to comprehensive risk signals are key to ensuring that legitimate customers are adequately assisted. Once credentials are reset or access is restored, fraud teams should be notified to update policies accordingly and mitigate the risk of further breaches during the remediation process.CONCLUSIONNo solution, including MFA, can eliminate risk when granting customers access to services or products. The uncomfortable truth is that businesses need customers to be profitable, and with customers comes risk. However, adopting a multi-layered approach (MLA) to your MFA strategy allows you to accept risk without exposing your organization to unnecessary losses. ESJUST AS A WRENCH CAN'T DRIVE A NAIL, MFA CAN'T STAND ALONE. A ROBUST SECURITY STRATEGY REQUIRES A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH THAT INTEGRATES DETECTION, PREVENTION, AUTHENTICATION AND REMEDIATION
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