What is it?
Multi-Factor Authentication is a security measure which requires you to supply more than one piece of information to log in. As an analogy, you probably unlock the doors to your home with just a key. This is like what you're used to with logins - just a password. This is considered single-factor authentication, and there's a problem with it. If you lose your key, or password, that's all someone needs to get into your home.
Multi-factor authentication asks you to provide another bit of information to prove that it's really you. In the home analogy, it would be like needing your key and also a PIN code. In the digital world, the additional factor can be many things.
In many cases, multi-factor authentication is the same as two-factor authentication, which is another term you might have heard. The "multi" part means we could have more than two required factors, but currently at SMCC there are no plans to require more than that. It's also a more technically correct term, so that's what we're using.
Why do I need it?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA for short) protects your account by requiring something you have (your MFA code on your phone) in addition to something you know (your password). Passwords can be guessed or 'cracked' relatively easily, but it's much harder for a criminal, possibly in another country to gain access to your phone or token to read the authentication code.
Now, is MFA perfect and will always save you from the bad guys? No. Nothing is perfect. There are certain MFA vulnerabilities which, like any other software vulnerability, are discovered and fixed by manufacturers, and there are issues with SMS-based codes. Additionally, if a criminal tricks you into approving an MFA prompt, that's the same as having your phone in hand.
However, the bottom line is that having MFA is always better then just a password.
Who is required to use it?
All employees are required to use MFA.
Students are not required to, but may optionally use, MFA. Students are required to use MFA if their account has been compromised at any time.
Next Steps
Review these two articles to learn about setting up MFA, and using it in your day-to-day work, respectively.
Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication
Using Multi-Factor Authentication