Risk-based Authentication (RBA) in Reducing MFA Fatigue

Read full article here: https://www.unosecur.com/blog/less-ping-more-proof-risk-based-authentication-for-reducing-mfa-fatigue/?source=nhimg

Most Zero Trust initiatives stall because people drown in MFA prompts. Users feel harassed, VIPs demand exemptions, and admins carve out “temporary” bypasses that become permanent. The result: weaker security, frustrated users, and stalled adoption.

Risk-based authentication (RBA) breaks that cycle. Instead of forcing MFA at every turn, RBA challenges only when signals show elevated risk. A login from a trusted laptop at a normal time sails through silently. A privileged action from an unmanaged device on a suspicious network gets stopped or escalated to strong, phishing-resistant proof.

By swapping “always prompt” for “prompt when it matters,” organizations reduce fatigue while actually raising assurance. It’s how Zero Trust becomes livable.

Why it matters

• Audit and compliance - Without metrics, authentication feels subjective. With them, it’s a shared language for IT, security, and auditors.

• User trust - Over-prompting leads to ticket spikes and dangerous behaviors like “push bombing” approvals.

• Risk reduction - The same telemetry that tunes RBA also blocks clear-risk access outright—closing gaps left by VIP exemptions or legacy protocols.

What to do first

Start with a minimal, explainable set of RBA policies:

• Known user + managed device + normal location → Allow.

• Known user + unmanaged device → Step-up with phishing-resistant factor.

• Privileged action → Require strong re-auth.

• New device on risky network → Block until registered.

• Legacy protocols → Block; migrate to modern auth.

How to prove it's working

Measure both friction and protection:

• MFA coverage – Aim for 100% of admins, 95%+ of workforce.

• Passwordless adoption – 60% of admin logins in 90 days, 30%+ workforce and rising.

• Prompt rate per user – ≤ 3 per week, falling steadily.

• Step-up yield – More risky sessions caught, fewer benign ones interrupted.

• High-risk blocks – Non-zero and stable, spikes investigated.

• Legacy auth usage – 0% for admins, <1% overall.

• Help-desk tickets – Trending down after week two.

• False positive/negative ratio – Both declining as policies mature.

Bottom Line

Risk-based authentication is the missing layer that makes Zero Trust sustainable. It strips out noise, removes the need for risky exemptions, and strengthens security precisely where it matters most. Organizations that launch with clear starter policies, wire the right metrics into dashboards, and review them weekly will see both fatigue and credential-driven risks decline—proof that smarter authentication delivers more assurance with less friction.