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Security risk

Shared account authentication risks

Risk model for shared account authentication: collective logins, MFA relay, offboarding gaps, audit issues, and mitigations with governed shared MFA.

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Shared account risk model

  • Credential coupling — password + MFA forwarded together in chat.
  • Offboarding lag — departed staff retain viewer access.
  • Lockout concentration — one device holds all enrollments.
  • Audit opacity — no roster of who can see OTP.

Mitigations

Separate MFA delivery (shared MFA platform), time-boxed viewers, quarterly reviews (checklist), migration plans to per-user access.

Reduce operational MFA risk

Replace screenshot and chat relay with governed viewers.

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Glossary

Key terms in this guide

Operational definitions for shared MFA vocabulary—written for security and IT teams, not dictionary-only summaries.

Shared MFAGoverned second-factor delivery for collective logins.TOTPTime-based one-time passwords and shared enrollment.SMS AuthenticationText OTP workflows for shared operational accounts.

Security FAQ

Is MultiMFA a silver bullet?
No. It improves governed delivery for shared operational MFA. You still need least-privilege passwords, SSO where possible, and access reviews.
Should we eliminate shared accounts?
Yes where vendors allow SSO/per-user IAM. Until then, govern MFA and minimize password sharing.

More questions? Contact support or read our security overview.

Operational MFA without the chaos

MultiMFA SMS + TOTP for collective accounts.

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