Get the message: SMS is too weak for 2FA

The mobile technology is too insecure for exchanging security codes, warns Microsoft

Two-factor authentication (2FA) needs a revamp, according to Microsoft, which believes that sending security codes via SMS presents an unnecessary risk. Mobile 2FA – where a one-time code is sent to the handset of someone trying to access an online account – is seen as far safer than using passwords alone, but inherent vulnerabilities in the system mean fraudsters could game security checks. Whether it’s via SMS or voice, Microsoft argues that multi-factor authentication (MFA) over phone networks should be stopped and replaced by dedicated apps because SMS is insecure. “These mechanisms are based on publicly switched telephone networks (PSTN), and they’re the least secure of the MFA methods available today,” said Alex Weinert, Microsoft’s director of identity security, in a blog post. That gap [between SMS and apps] will only widen as…

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PC Pro (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2021

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