White Paper - Multi-factor strong authentication
(2FA-MFA) methods

Which choice for your enterprise 2FA - MFA Authentication ?

This white paper details the strong authentication methods (2FA-MFA) that are most commonly used in organizations and their specific features.

It also details the problems that are most frequently encountered during deployment and day-to-day administration. It provides, and offers practical and the most commonly implemented solutions.

Strong authentication techniques in the enterprise are often required by regulations. Organizations are using them more and more often to protect internal and external access to their systems.

In practice however, deploying strong authentication is often more time-consuming and more expensive than anticipated. The problem is rarely due to the technology itself, but rather due to how it is implemented:

• Unforeseen use, such as a self-service kiosk, cluster, delegated accounts, mobility, conversational terminals, etc.
• Resolving lost card and supply issues
• Users (often influential) with very specific needs
• Managing equipment from many different suppliers

As a result, it is important to anticipate the hidden costs of deploying strong authentication (2FA-MFA), very early in the process. Otherwise, there might not be enough funds or available manpower after a few weeks. That said, making the right choices to begin with can greatly avoid disappointment at later stages.

This document is based on more than 20 years of experience in deploying authentication in organizations (500 to 200,000 users). It describes the authentication techniques and their limitations and offers practical advice for deploying and managing strong authentication (2FA-MFA).