A password and a text code
isn’t security anymore.
It’s a formality.
your IT provider won’t push one identity vendor over another. Here’s what actually separates real access control from checkbox MFA.
Find your access model before you talk to a vendor
A few quick questions. We'll highlight the closest fit below, then you can read why.
Three access tiers, three different levels of control
Vendors bundle these differently and brand them however marketing wants that quarter. The underlying control each one gives you is what actually matters.
Basic MFA
A push notification or code required on top of the password.
- Fast to roll out, immediate improvement
- Doesn’t centralize or simplify access
- Still vulnerable to help-desk social engineering
SSO + MFA
One login grants access to every connected app, protected by MFA.
- One place to revoke all access at once
- Better user experience, one login
- Still needs a real offboarding process behind it
Full IAM / Zero Trust
Adaptive access, automated lifecycle management, and least-privilege by default.
- Access shrinks automatically as roles change
- Strongest real-world protection of the three
- Most complex and costly to implement
12 questions to ask any identity & access management vendor
Click each one off as you go. Bring what's left to the sales call, a vendor who gets defensive about any of these is telling you something.
Is MFA required for every account including admins and service accounts?
What happens to access the minute someone is terminated?
Can MFA be bypassed with a phone call to the help desk?
Is phishing-resistant MFA an option passkeys or hardware keys, not just SMS?
Do you know who has admin rights across every system right now?
Is access reviewed periodically or granted once and forgotten?
Does it cover legacy apps that don’t support modern authentication?
How fast can you revoke access everywhere, for a compromised account?
Is there a break-glass process for emergency access, and who controls it?
Does it alert on impossible-travel logins or other unusual patterns?
What’s the actual user experience one login, or ten separate ones?
Can you get a straight answer to all eleven questions above, in writing?
6 signs your identity & access management is a liability, not a defense
These show up constantly in businesses that thought they were covered.
Former employees still have working logins months after leaving.
MFA can be bypassed with a help-desk phone call and no verification.
Nobody has a current list of who has admin access to what.
Shared logins are used because nobody wants to manage individual accounts.
SMS is the only MFA option, and it’s routinely SIM-swapped in the industry.
Password resets are approved based on a first name alone.
The buzzwords, decoded
We’ll look at what you actually have, then tell you the truth about it.
No vendor commission riding on the answer. Just a straight read on whether access is actually under control.
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