Get Ready for Multi-Factor Authentication: Prepare Your End-Users

Editor’s note: Effective April 8, 2024, MFA is a default part of the login process for new Salesforce production orgs. If you’re a new Salesforce customer, this blog post provides tips to help ensure your users are ready for MFA when your org goes live. This post was updated on June 27, 2024, with the latest information and resources.

To better protect our customers and keep their data secure, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now a default part of the direct login process for new Salesforce production orgs. For a frictionless launch of Salesforce to your users, we recommend including some MFA awareness and training in your onboarding activities.

MFA is fast and easy, but busy people may be resistant to an extra step when logging in. To hit the right notes with your Salesforce users, share why MFA is a critical security measure and help everyone quickly incorporate it into their daily lives. A good strategy for managing change includes engaging and educating everyone with communication, training, and onboarding materials. And—great news–there are templates available to help you jump-start these activities.

Engage with communication

To make sure no one is surprised by MFA, communicate early and often with your users. We recommend using multiple channels to help reach everyone.

As part of your messaging, describe what MFA is, what users must do to be ready, and where they can find instructions and support. To promote user adoption, amplify the idea that MFA is an important safeguard for account access and, ultimately, your valuable business and customer data.

Here are a couple of ideas to engage your users.

• Communication channel: Create a central place, such as a Slack channel, where you can make announcements, share resources, answer questions, and tap into the power of peer collaboration.

• Awareness emails: You can go simple with a single email, or do a drip campaign with bite-sized messages delivered over several days or weeks.

Educate with training

When a user logs in, a series of prompts shows them how to register and use MFA verification methods. But don’t rely on this guidance alone. A little end-user training prepares everyone to respond to MFA challenges.

There are a variety of training approaches you can take, including:

• On-demand: Create resources, such as a video, that users can access on their own time. If you’re relying on Salesforce Authenticator as a verification method, utilize the How to Use Salesforce Authenticator for MFA Logins video created by Salesforce.
• Real-time: Set up in-person or virtual training sessions, like a webinar or a lunch-and-learn event.

When creating training materials, consider addressing these topics.

• What MFA is, how it works, and why it’s important for your company and customers
• The types of verification methods that users can select, how to obtain a method (such as where to download authenticator apps or how to receive a physical security key), and how to register and log in with each of the methods you’re supporting
• Where to get help if users have problems registering a method or logging in, or if they forget or lose their method

Reinforce with onboarding materials

Training is valuable, but don’t count on your multi-tasking users remembering everything they learned. On the day your production org launches, users will benefit from simple resources that supplement the guidance provided by the in-app MFA registration prompts. Onboarding materials go a long way in getting people up and running (and reduce calls to your support team).

Consider creating a “quick start” webpage or a laminated cheat sheet that walks through the login process. Focus on the step-by-step instructions for acquiring, registering, and logging in with verification methods. And be sure to include guidance on how to get help if users wind up stuck or confused.

Jump-start your MFA change management activities

Download the free MFA Rollout Pack for change management templates, and use the additional resources below for more information.

Resources

• Salesforce Help: Verification Methods for Multi-Factor Authentication
• Salesforce Help: Everything You Need to Know About Multi-Factor Authentication for Salesforce Orgs
• Salesforce Admins Blog: Everything Admins Need to Know About the MFA Requirement
• Salesforce Help: Salesforce Multi-Factor Authentication FAQ
• Salesforce Trust Site: Multi-Factor Authentication for Salesforce
• Salesforce Admins Blog: Get Ready for Multi-Factor Authentication: It’s On By Default Now
• Salesforce Admins Blog: Get Ready for Multi-Factor Authentication: Tips to Help Users Recover Access

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