Answer yes if your organisation enforces multi-factor authentication on all remotely accessible services that are used internally or provided externally (e.g. to customers or the public). This includes internal IT services, third-party apps or systems provided externally (e.g. client portals, apps, public services). In the notes section, describe where MFA is enforced, where it is available but not enforced, and where it is not available. You can add different answers for different products.
Traditionally, to gain access to a system you need a unique user ID (a username) and a password. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires you to pass an additional barrier that usually involves presenting something that only you own. For example, using your phone or a one-time password (OTP) generator allows the system to verify a recognised second factor.
Implementing MFA is a key control that greatly increases the confidentiality of your data. It prevents attackers who know your password (i.e. through previous data breaches, known as credential stuffing) or who can figure out your password (through brute force or other password attacks) from easily gaining access to a system.
MFA should be implemented across all of your systems that can be accessed remotely, whether hosted internally or by a third party. This includes internal IT systems, administrative portals, SaaS applications or web-based third-party services such as Github.
Your IT team must ensure that multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on all services that can be accessed remotely, whether hosted internally or by a third party.
When selecting MFA methods, prioritise app-based or hardware token-based authentication (e.g., Google/Microsoft Authenticator, YubiKey, etc.) over SMS-based codes, as these are more resistant to interception and phishing attacks.
You should also verify that all third-party platforms your organisation uses support MFA and confirm that the feature is enabled for all user accounts.
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