While passwords have long served as the most common defense for account access, Bit-Wizards is warning businesses that this approach is no longer sufficient on its own—especially as industry data shows that more than 80% of data breaches involve stolen or weak credentials.

With that, and in light of Data Privacy Week, companies are being urged to adopt modern authentication strategies and comprehensive IT practices to safeguard their digital infrastructure.

Where can businesses start to enhance their protection?

Bit-Wizards points to the use of multifactor authentication (MFA), which adds verification layers beyond a simple password. It works by requiring two or more authentication factors to verify a user’s identity. The most common types used are:

  • Passwords, PIN codes, or security questions
  • An authenticator app, one-time passcodes, emails, text messages, or hardware
  • Biometrics like fingerprints, facial scans, or voice recognition

MFA is a measure that Brian Schlechter, Bit-Wizards' director of IT, emphasizes as a highly effective method to bolster security and reduce costly incidents.

Getting your password isn’t enough for hackers if you use MFA. Requiring two separate pieces of information increases the difficulty of getting into your accounts.
—Brian Schlechter, Director of IT

This is where Managed IT Service providers like Bit-Wizards come in, he says. “We use MFA, enterprise-grade firewalls, VPNs, and so much more to offer a more complete solution…our team looks over your situation, implements the best combination of strategies, and provides thorough help desk support every step of the way.”

With MFA, businesses are better positioned to detect suspicious activity early, as unusual verification requests can alert users and administrators to potential breaches before damage occurs. Additionally, the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency states that accounts are 99% less likely to be compromised than password-only systems.

Businesses interested in strengthening their data protection and authentication strategies can contact Bit-Wizards to schedule a security assessment or learn more about best practices.

For more info on professional device audits or proactive IT strategies, get in touch.