6 Ways to Protect Against MFA Fatigue
Multi-Factor Authentication is a must in today’s business world. One of the biggest reasons is that passwords are no longer good enough to protect critical information from cybercriminals. However, a crucial flaw in the MFA system leads to MFA Fatigue Attacks.
Cybercriminals love laziness. They love human error even more. And before you know it, you’re bombarded with MFA codes, links, and requests. One click is all it takes for a cybercriminal to access your company’s critical data.
Using Multi-Factor Authentication helps protect your company’s assets. Still, you must remain vigilant to avoid social engineering hacks like MFA Fatigue Attacks. Let’s look at how MFA works to better understand the vulnerabilities and what you can do to protect yourself.
What is Multi-Factor Authentication?
Multi-Factor Authentication, also known as two-step verification, is a cybersecurity best practice that requires a user to provide multiple verification forms before accessing an account. MFA typically requires you to input something you know, something you have, and something you are—more on this below. ?
Classic examples of MFA use include logging into your bank account, when you need to access work applications, or you can use MFA apps from Microsoft and Google and add all personal accounts you use, which we highly recommend.
Types of Authentication Factors
Remember this phrase when thinking about MFA and examples of how it works: something you know, have, and are. This phrase is an easy way to remember the various factors of authentication and how they can be used to prevent MFA Fatigue Attacks.
The technical names for the various factors of authentication are:
Knowledge-based factors: think passwords and PINS
Possession-based factors: this could be a token or even a mobile device
Inherence-based factors: a fingerprint or face recognition
Most two-step systems will use a combination of these three factors, with a user’s password often being the first factor. So, if MFA is a best practice, then why are attacks happening?
What is an MFA Spam Attack?
As the name implies, hackers will overwhelm the end user, pushing them to engage. At its core, an MFA Fatigue Attack is a social engineering technique used by hackers. Other names for fatigue attacks include push spam fatigue and authentication bombing. In some cases, if a hacker doesn’t get the response they want, they may even contact the user directly, impersonating someone from IT or a third-party vendor.
This happened in September 2022, when Uber was attacked after user credentials were leaked on the Dark Web. The hacker gained access to an account and bombarded the employee with MFA prompts for over an hour. After the fatigue attack wasn’t working, the hacker reached out to the employee posing as an Uber IT tech.
How can a hacker, acting as a third-party vendor, send you multiple MFA codes or even contact you? It’s a great question, and the answer is that they already have your username and password. This highlights the importance of cybersecurity awareness training.
Why are MFA Fatigue Attacks So Common?
Fatigue Attacks are so common because they’re so effective. They can also be automated, making the frequency of bombing much more impactful for the hacker. The other aspect is that end users don’t expect MFA verification links to be malicious, or they may think that the many notifications are caused by a glitch in the MFA system.
Since we’ve all been trained to inherently trust MFA, we need new education around zero trust and best practices for cybersecurity. Below, let’s look at ways to protect yourself from MFA Fatigue Attacks.
6 Ways to Protect Against MFA Overload
You can take the following steps to prevent falling victim to MFA fatigue attacks.
Lead with Education
Security Awareness is a must. Keep your team updated on MFA bombing and social engineering techniques, including best practices such as using a strong password management tool.
Limit Authentication Messages
Ask your IT admins to set limits on the number of login attempts or notification messages that can be sent to users. If the limit is reached, the account should lock out the user, who should be required to contact IT to unlock the account.
Provide the User More Info
Avoid the generic messaging that reveals MFA’s flaw. Your IT team can include more information, such as where the request originated, by providing details like the IP address and the device used for logging in. This is great for authentication emails going to end users. If the user can see where the request is coming from and from what device, they will be less apt to click on malicious links.
Use Trusted Devices
Users may click that a device is trusted, meaning they won’t have to use the MFA login process every time. If a user is on a trusted device and receives an MFA notification, that’s a red flag.
Change Confirmation Methods
Remember the phrase “something you know, something you have, and something you are”? Changing confirmation methods is something you have or something you are. Instead of clicking a link in an email, a PIN or facial scan can be sent or used on a secondary device avoiding push notification fatigue.
Implement a SIEM Platform
Using a SIEM platform will allow your team to proactively monitor threats and incidents in real time. SIEM tools use machine learning to recognize attack patterns and user and entity behavior, allowing the tool to quickly identify deviations from the norm.
Experiencing Authentication Fatigue?
No one system is 100% bulletproof, clearly. As we can see, even a solid tool like MFA can be vulnerable. To protect yourself and your business, cybersecurity must be a layered approach. This layered approach includes:
If you’re experiencing MFA Fatigue Attacks and ready to stop them, contact us today. We’ll work with you to complete an audit of your system and implement the tools to protect you and your team!