What is two-factor authentication, and how does it improve the security of digital signatures?

Introduction  

Security and safety should always come first when carrying out any action online. This applies to sending and receiving data and logging into any accounts that include sensitive or private data.  

Several precautions can be taken to maintain safety online, including keeping antivirus software up to date and active and on the watch for phishing scams. However, other features, such as 2FA, are made mainly to prevent illegal online account access. Due to the increase in data breaches, security solutions like these are essential.   

Data exposures, or the unintentional disclosure of private information due to inadequate information security, impact about 155.8 million people. With such alarming statistics, it’s more important than ever for companies and people to be attentive in their efforts to protect their accounts. 2FA can help with this.  

What is two-factor authentication?  

To gain access to a website, application, or resource, a user must give precisely two factors of verification using the two-factor signature authentication (2FA) mechanism. Multi-factor authentication, which necessitates at least two authentication methods, is a subset of 2FA authentication. Businesses employ two-factor authentication (2FA) to offer an extra layer of security against frequent attack techniques like phishing, social engineering, and brute-force password theft assaults.   

By requesting a second credential from users in addition to their username and password, two-factor authentication (2FA) enables the usage of additional security. Apps and websites can utilize this security strategy in a few different ways: something you have, something you know, something you are, or where you are.  

• Something you have: A physical access card, a smartphone or other device, or a digital certificate  
• Something you know: A pin code or password  
• Something you are: Biometrics, such as fingerprints or retina scans  

How does two-factor authentication improve digital signature software security?  

The well-known technique of two-factor authentication (2FA) can help consumers avoid online identity theft. 2FA requires two or more tokens demonstrating ownership or permission to access online accounts and information.  

Certinal digital signatures offer a solution that combines user-friendliness and high security & compliance. Access to digital signing keys can be restricted using secure workflows using passwords, particular hardware, and biometric information. This will make it far more challenging to copy keys or obtain illegal access.  

One of the primary obstacles to adopting 2FA in businesses is eliminated by Certinal’s unified and secure solution, which offers a seamless experience. To prevent man-in-the-middle attacks or other known schemes from intercepting or compromising the authentication and signing process, the product uses numerous channels in the background to produce and validate its authentication tokens.  

How to choose the right factors for two-factor authentication?  

The aforementioned discussion covered the many factors that can be utilized to enable two-factor authentication. However, numerous possibilities exist, and new technologies are continually being developed, even within each authenticator. So, how do you determine the variables to include in your 2FA protocol? To assist you in making the best decision, examine the following queries:  

• Do you want the user to be able to see through authentication?  
• Would you prefer that the user carry a physical device or provide online authentication?  
• Do you want the website to verify its own identity to the user?  
• What risks are involved, and how sensitive is the data you guarding?  
• Are offices, labs, or other locations physically accessible to users one of your user requirements?  

Do Certinal digital signatures provide two-factor authentication?  

We do, indeed! To keep our customers and their clients’ papers safe and secure at all times, Certinal provides top-notch security to create digital signature. Certinal keeps your documents secure from beginning to end through security measures like SOC 2 Type 2 auditing and compliance, 256-bit encryption, and cloud storage in SSAE16 and PCI compliant trusted US data centers.  

Explore Secure eMail, a unique feature of Certinal that adds a double security layer making it the best software for digital signatures.  

Explore all the next-gen esignature products of Certinal – Standard digital signature, Qualified digital signature, Advanced digital signature. 

Book a demo with us or reach out to us at switchto@certinal.com to have a closer look at the most secure and the best digital signature solution.