MFA Deployment For Food Manufacturer

Multi-Factor Authentication

Working with a food manufacturer, Akita deployed enhanced security measures to safeguard the organisation’s mix of remote and office-based employees.

Approach

Operating with a workforce mixing home and office-based users, the company was aware it needed to maintain robust security measures to protect its data.

Remote users already used a VPN solution to partly protect their access to company systems and cloud resources. However, it was felt more could be done to protect systems and business data.

Dual Platform MFA Deployment

Given the mix of working practices, we took a two-pronged strategy for multi-factor authentication.

Microsoft Entra ID conditional access policies were configured to protect the Microsoft 365 environment, with users adopting the Microsoft Authenticator Application to authenticate with the customers environment.

Home working users accessing systems via VPN were signed up to our Duo authentication method. This protected access to the company’s VPN and thereby prevented unauthorised access to systems.

Rollout & User Guidance

Given the potential for business disruption, a gradual approach to project rollout was undertaken.

All employees were progressively reminded by automatic prompts to install the relevant multi-factor authentication software, with step-by-step guidance provided and further assistance offered by Akita’s helpdesk.

To ensure effective project completion, a designated go-live date was set by which all employees needed to have enrolled on to the required multi-factor authentication utilities.

On the date in question, Akita’s cyber security experts and members of our project team provided dedicated support to ensure any issues with the solution were addressed.

Following the implementation, a hypercare phase was initiated to monitor system performance, address any teething issues, and ensure a smooth transition.

Ongoing support and maintenance were subsequently provided by Akita’s helpdesk to address user feedback, enhance usability, and maintain optimal security posture.

Results

Through effective project deployment and ongoing support, the organisation successfully navigated the transition to multi-factor authentication while maintaining operational continuity and user satisfaction.

The MFA deployment has yielded significant improvements in the company’s security protection without impacting user experience.