Preparing for the New Salesforce MFA Requirements

Data protection and security are top of mind for many organizations and having technology that enables the highest level of security is vital. As more businesses transition to remote work environments, it’s even more important to have stronger security measures in place. Salesforce is always working on ways to better serve their customers, including data security. They recently announced a new requirement for customers beginning February 1, 2022, that will require customers to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) in order to access Salesforce products. 

Here is everything you need to know about MFA and the new requirement.  

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – 

• MFA is a secure authentication process that requires users to prove their identity by supplying two or more factors of evidence when logging in. One factor could be their username and password with another being an authenticator app or security key. 
• This two-step process provides an extra layer of protection against unauthorized accounts. It can help protect users from phishing attacks, credential stuffing, and account takeovers. 

What Admins Need to Know – 

• Here is what must be done to satisfy the requirements 
  • Enable MFA for users who log in to Salesforce products (including partner solutions) through the user interface.
  • Use federated single sign-on (SSO) for Salesforce products, including partner solutions. If you decide to implement SSO, they are requiring customers to enable MFA for your identity provider (IdP). With a well-implemented SSO strategy, you can reduce some of the risks associated with weak or reused passwords, and make it easier for your users to log in to frequently-used applications.
  • Check out the Multi-Factor Authentication Quick Guide for Admins to get started 

MFA and the Salesforce Authenticator app are available at no extra cost. Although this change goes into effect in February 2022, Salesforce recommends beginning planning now as it can take some time to roll out. Check out the Salesforce Multi-Factor Authentication FAQ for more information on the MFA requirement or reach out to our team today!