MFA Rollout ROI & Risk Reduction Calculator

Translate credential breach exposure, licensing costs, and adoption assumptions into a clear ROI, risk reduction, and payback story for deploying MFA.

Seats you plan to protect with MFA.
Average annualized loss from credential compromises per user.
Subscription or per-seat fee for MFA software.
Percent of targeted users expected to enroll.
Share of credential attacks blocked once MFA is enabled.
Cost of extra sign-in time or help desk calls per enrolled user.

Security budgets require multiple data points—pair this output with compliance, insurance, and user-experience metrics before final approvals.

Examples

  • 1,200 users, $160 breach cost, $28 license, 85% adoption, $6 drag ⇒ $113,832 net benefit, 328.2% ROI, payback in 2.8 months
  • 450 users, $320 breach cost, $42 license, 70% adoption, $4 drag ⇒ $74,214 net benefit, 512.2% ROI, payback in 2.0 months

FAQ

How should I pick the breach cost per user?

Divide your total annualized breach loss projections by headcount or use insurance actuarial guidance for regulated industries.

What if adoption starts lower?

Lower the adoption rate to see how partial rollouts affect ROI, then rerun as enablement programs lift participation.

Can this include hardware tokens?

Add token procurement and shipping into the license or productivity fields so the cost side reflects your rollout method.

Does this cover passwordless?

Yes—enter the passwordless platform licensing cost and adjust the breach reduction percentage if the method is stronger than standard MFA.

How do I explain payback to stakeholders?

The payback figure shows how many months of avoided loss are needed to cover rollout spend; shorter payback periods signal faster risk-adjusted returns for security investments.

Additional Information

  • Baseline risk is the annualized credential-compromise loss without MFA; adjust the per-user input using your latest incident cost models.
  • Effectiveness defaults to 91% based on industry breach reports—tweak it for phishing-resistant keys or SMS-based MFA.
  • Productivity drag captures login friction, help desk tickets, or SMS pass-through fees—set to zero if negligible.
  • Net benefit subtracts both licensing expense and productivity drag from losses avoided so finance sees the true return.
  • The calculator assumes licenses scale with enrolled users; if you buy enterprise-wide, set adoption to 100%.

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