Out-of-Band Authentication: What Is It and Why It’s Essential

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an essential component for strengthening modern identity and access management security. However, the biggest challenge with MFA is the implementation: doing so without introducing friction to the end-user experience. Out-of-band authentication is a type of MFA that requires a secondary verification method through a separate communication channel. This practice makes hacking an account more difficult because two separate and unconnected authentication channels would have to be compromised for an attacker to gain access. While many organizations are opting for SMS or phone-based authentication methods to achieve this higher level of security, there are better alternatives to consider. We’ll take a hard look at the pros and cons of a wide variety of authentication methods, many of which provide much greater convenience and security than the typical phone-based approach.