According to a recent cybersecurity report, India is leading in the adoption and usage growth of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). The Thales Access Management Index 2022, conducted by the research firm 451 Research, indicates that India experienced a significant 19 percentage point increase, bringing MFA usage to 66 percent, surpassing the global average of 56 percent.

Following closely, Singapore saw a 17 percentage point increase, and the UAE witnessed a ten percentage point rise. Multi-Factor Authentication, often referred to as MFA, is a layered security system that mandates users to employ a combination of two or more credentials, such as a PIN, password, or OTP, for logging in.

Interestingly, MFA is gaining popularity not only among IT professionals but also among internal and non-IT staff, with the adoption rate reaching 40 percent, compared to 34 percent the previous year.

The report further highlights that, despite concerns about security risks related to remote work, more than 84 percent of IT professionals expressed confidence in their company’s security system, a significant increase from 56 percent last year.

In terms of global MFA usage, remote workers constitute over 68 percent, followed by 52 percent for privileged users. The Thales survey delved into companies’ deployment plans for new access security technologies, revealing that over 45 percent of total respondents were in favor, up from 41 percent the previous year.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cloud-based access management is also evident, with adoption rising to 45 percent from 41 percent last year, according to the survey.