CISOs' Challenge: Securing MFA Adoption With Risk Messaging

AICD's Figueroa on Business-Focused Communication for Authentication Progress Suparna Goswami (gsuparna) • March 27, 2025

Many organizations across the Asia-Pacific region continue to rely on outdated authentication methods despite years of warnings from security experts. The obstacles differ based on organizational size, with larger companies hindered by legacy infrastructure investments while smaller entities suffer from awareness gaps.

See Also: Effective Communication Is Key to Successful Cybersecurity

With phishing attacks growing more sophisticated - expanding beyond email to include voice, SMS and now "generative AI tools that will involve a persona speaking to you that might be someone else," the risks associated with single-factor authentication have multiplied, said Marco Figueroa, senior manager of cybersecurity, risk and compliance at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

For CISOs struggling to implement multi-factor authentication, the key challenge isn't technical but communicative. Security leaders must translate technical vulnerabilities into business impacts when addressing executives who ...