Security News > 2022 > July > 54% of SMBs do not implement MFA

MFA has been in use for decades and is widely recommended by cybersecurity experts, yet 55% of SMBs surveyed are not "Very aware" of MFA and its security benefits, and 54% do not use it for their business.

Of the businesses that have not implemented MFA, 47% noted they either didn't understand MFA or didn't see its value.

"We know nearly all account compromise attacks can be stopped outright, just by using MFA. It's a proven, effective way to thwart bad actors," said Karen S. Evans, managing director of CRI. "All of us-governments, non-profits, industry-need to do much more to communicate the value of MFA to small business and medium-sized owners."

Only 39% of those who offer MFA have a process for prioritizing critical hardware, software, and data, with 49% merely "Encouraging the use of MFA when it is available."

Implement MFA. There are several easy steps companies can take to implement MFA. First, companies should designate someone in the organization to be responsible for deploying MFA and provide senior leadership with frequent updates on progress and gaps.

Only 46% of SMBs that offer MFA capabilities provide information to employees on the importance of going beyond usernames and passwords, while 20% do not train employees on the use of MFA. SMBs using MFA cite funding for tools, implementation resources, and maintenance costs as the top three implementation challenges.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/08/smb-implement-mfa/