Verify Before You Reset
Follow approved identity checks before password resets, MFA resets or device enrolment, even under pressure.
Illustrative scenario
How It Looks in Real Life
A caller claiming to be a travelling executive says they lost their phone and need an MFA reset immediately for a board meeting.
Understand it
How the Attack Works
Attackers research employees, then call the help desk to have MFA reset or a new device enrolled. A successful reset hands them a fully authenticated account.
Red flags
Warning Signs
- Urgent reset requests invoking seniority or deadlines.
- Callers who cannot pass standard checks but push for an exception.
- Requests to enrol a new MFA device right after a password reset.
Safer habits
What to Do Instead
- 1Apply the same documented verification to every caller, regardless of rank.
- 2Call back on the number in the directory or verify through the manager.
- 3Escalate exceptions instead of granting them.
Response playbook
Already Interacted?
For work accounts and devices, report promptly through your organisation’s IT or security process first. Never share passwords, codes or tokens in a report.
If you: approved app permissions or a sign-in request
- 1Report it straight away so IT can revoke the session or app consent.
- 2Remove the unfamiliar app from your account’s connected apps or permissions page.
- 3Changing your password does not remove app permissions or tokens already issued.
If you: entered credentials or shared a code
- 1Report it to IT or security immediately for a work account; speed matters more than embarrassment.
- 2Change the password from a trusted device by typing the real address yourself.
- 3Sign out of all sessions from the account security settings. A password change alone may not end active sessions.
- 4Review recovery email, phone number and forwarding rules for unexpected changes.
Knowledge Check
What Would You Do?
A “senior manager” angrily refuses verification and demands an MFA reset. What do you do?
Fictional example for learning. Not a test score or certification.
Sources
Content reviewed by WazuGuardix on 5 October 2026. Summaries are in our own words.
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