Multi-Factor Authentication is a process performed by any user, or a device to provide two or more varying types of evidence of control linked to a specific digital identity. This is done to gain access to the linked rights, permission, memberships, and privileges. Multi-factor authentication mechanisms can also be compromised.
Let us see the ways in which it can happen, so that we can be more preventable.
Ways to Hack Multi-Factor Authentication
Social Engineering
MFA hacking is one of the potent cyber security concerns. One of the ways to hack it is through social engineering. It refers to the involvement of human element in using MFA inadvertently that causes its misuse, or bypass.
Technical Manipulation
Technical manipulation implies the methods of manipulation, and exploitation that didn’t need a human to make a mistake.
Physical Attacks
Physical attacks imply copying fingerprints or directly accessing secret keys with the help of an electron microscope.
Mixed MFA Hacks
It is a combination of MFA hacking methods such as social engineering with technical manipulation. Irrespective of the hacking methods, hackers take advantage of loopholes between the authentication steps.
There are three fundamental kinds of authentication factors in MFA that includes:
- A password such as PIN, and Connect the Dots.
- USB: USB token, RFID transmitter, smartcard, dongle, etc.
- Fingerprint: Biometrics, retina scan, fingerprints, and smell
- By gaining access to any of the above authentication factors, an MFA can get hacked.
Tips to Protect Against MFA Attacks
Below are some of the steps to be taken for the protection against MFA Attacks.
- Realize that any MFA solution can be hacked
- Integration of MFA hacking awareness into security awareness training
- Sharing this information with management, and co-workers
- Do not get fooled into clicking on doubtful links. Instead, users should block those links as much as they can
- Ensure that your users are aware of a legitimate URL before they click it.
Technical Defenses
- Enable “REQUIRED MFA” at all the times
- Do not use” SMS-based MFA” anywhere
- Use 2 way, and mutual authentication at all the time (ex. Token Binding, or FIDO U2F’s Channel)
Conclusion
MFA is good to implement in a business. Everyone can use it whenever they wish to. But one should know that it is not unbreakable. If you wish to implement MFA, then a lot of security awareness training is needed to be a part of the overall security defense system.