When it comes to protecting your business, you probably have locks on all your doors. You may even have a security system installed on your building. With all that added security, your business could still be at risk for invasion, theft and vandalism, especially if you haven't taken steps to secure your computers mainframe. All the data for your business is held within the confines of your mainframe. If it's not protected properly, you could be putting your entire business at risk. That's where multi-factor authentication comes into the picture. Multi-factor authentication uses multiple steps to protect the integrity of your mainframe. Here are three crucial steps that are involved in a multi-factor authentication process.

Make Sure They Know It

When it comes to protecting the security of your mainframe, the first step needs to be a password or PIN. Each person that accesses your computer mainframe will need to provide the appropriate password or PIN. However, don't rely on the same password or PIN for extended periods of time. Hackers are continually looking for a way around password and PIN protection. As soon as they know your system is vulnerable, they'll take advantage of the situation by stealing the password or PIN information. Protect your system by changing your passwords and PINs on a regular basis.

Make Sure They Have It

Having your mainframe password and PIN protected is a great first step, but it's not the only step. The next phase of the multi-factor authentication process is to require cell phone, key fob, or ID card authorization. Requiring the second step will ensure that your employees know the password or PIN and provide the additional access item that is on their cell phone, key fob or card. However, there's still one step that you'll need to implement.

Make Sure They Use It

Finally, when maintaining the security of your mainframe through a multi-factor authentication process, you'll need to utilize something that completely unique, and unable to be reproduced. You'll need to use iris scan, fingerprint scan, or voice recognition. Security measures that require identity recognition prior to accessing vital data will ensure that your mainframe is protected from all types of threats.

If you own a business that relies on the data that's stored in your mainframe, make sure that data is well-protected. Utilizing a z/OS multi-factor authentication software process will ensure the safety of your mainframe and the security of the information that's stored on it.

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