The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) generated some buzz yesterday with the release of its Digital Authentication Guideline draft. As part of its purview, NIST recommends national-level guidelines and rules for cryptography and secure communications. In the proposal, NIST recommends implementers consider authenticators other than SMS due to the risk that messages may be redirected or intercepted. We recognize the potential pitfalls of SMS-based authentication and Okta has already begun to shift away from SMS-based authentication as a factor. In fact, Okta’s approach to multi-factor authentication, including leveraging secure mobile apps, biometrics, and unique pins are among the recommendations found in the draft. Okta Verify authenticates a user by sending a push to their smartphone through the app, which cannot be deflected or interrupted. It also simplifies multi-factor authentication (MFA) by requiring just a single tap from the user. This usability is key, translating to tighter security.