Everything Admins Need to Know About the MFA Requirement

Editor’s note: The contractual requirement to log in with multi-factor authentication (MFA) is in effect. This post was updated on June 27, 2024, with the latest information and resources. 

It feels like we’ve talked about security a lot in the past year, doesn’t it? Whether you tuned into #LowCodeLove on Trailhead Live, read about washing your hands, or listened to one of our favorite Salesforce MVPs talk about her experience rolling out MFA, it’s been top of mind.

At Salesforce, we’re always thinking of ways to better protect our customers and keep their data secure. That’s why Salesforce requires customers to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) when accessing Salesforce products. This contractual requirement went into effect on February 1, 2022.

This may seem like a big change, and we want to be clear about why it’s so important for Salesforce customers to implement stronger security measures in this current environment. The cybersecurity threat landscape is always evolving to include more sophisticated methods of targeting data. In fact, cyber attacks that can harm businesses and exploit consumers are on the rise. We also saw the number of phishing websites increase by 80% in 2020, according to Google’s Safe Browsing report.

MFA enhances login security by adding an extra layer of protection against unauthorized account access. MFA can help protect user accounts from some of the most common threats, such as phishing attacks, credential stuffing, and account takeovers. It’s a secure authentication process that requires users to prove their identity by supplying two or more pieces of evidence (or “factors”) when they log in. We strongly encourage customers to implement the most current and industry-standard security measures, and MFA is at the top of this list.

Let’s get back to the requirement…

To satisfy the requirement, you must do one of — or a combination of — the following:

• Use 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, we require customers to enable MFA for their 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.

The good news: MFA and the Salesforce Authenticator app are available at no extra cost. Salesforce also offers an SSO solution, but you should work with your IT or Security team to determine if SSO, and which IdP, is the best fit for your company.

And more good news: To help customers satisfy the requirement, MFA is now a default part of the direct login process for Salesforce products. That means it’s no longer necessary to enable MFA for direct logins yourself, giving you more time to focus on onboarding your users to MFA.

Does SSO satisfy the MFA requirement?

Yes — as long as all of your Salesforce products are integrated with SSO, with MFA enabled on the IdP, and all users who access a Salesforce product’s user interface do so via SSO. Note that you must use a federated SSO solution based on the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) or OpenID Connect standard protocols. Delegated Authentication does not satisfy the MFA requirement.

Okay, got it. How do I get started?

We’ve compiled a list of helpful resources to get you started on the MFA journey. As a Salesforce Admin, most of the responsibility for implementing SSO and MFA, and preparing users for MFA, will fall to you.

• Watch the How Multi-Factor Authentication Works to Protect Account Access video to learn how MFA works.
• Read the Salesforce Multi-Factor Authentication FAQ for more details about the MFA requirement and how to satisfy it.
• Check out the MFA for Salesforce customer site for complete guidance, including MFA help documentation and a tool to see if your MFA implementation satisfies the MFA requirement.

And join the conversation anytime in the MFA — Getting Started Trailblazer Community.