How to stay safe online-Use Multifactor Authentication
Staying safe online requires a universal effort and can only e achieved through constant education and a change in behaviours.
There are certain habits that we can all learn, change and adapt to help keep our devices secure, protect our most valuable information, lock down our online accounts and protect our data from cyber criminals.
Education on all aspects of cyber security awareness is the first step
Multifactor authentication (MFA) or 2 Factor authentication (2FA) sometimes also called 2-step authentication.
This is an added layer of protection for your accounts, so even if someone has your passwords they cannot use it log into your accounts without this extra information-Especially useful for important accounts like banking and email
Multi-factor authentication can significantly reduce online identity theft because knowing the password alone would not give cyber criminals access to the users information
You can turn it on manually or some accounts will already have it set up for you.
The normal way of accessing your account is to enter your username and password on the login page.
When a login attempt fails -you are prompted to authenticate the login attempt in another way.
This authentication relies on 3 basic functions:
Financial Example:
Taking money out of an ATM machine requires 2 factors you must you have in order to withdraw money
1. your bank card (what you have)
2. the PIN. (what you know)
Only f you have these two pieces of information will you be allowed to access your account
Web Example:
A website requires you to prove you are who you say you really are, they send a passcode to your mobile phone which will allow you to confirm your identity;
1. pass code sent to your mobile phone (what you have)
2. you enter the passcode into the login page (what you know)
Only if you have these two pieces of information will you be allowed to proceed to the site
Rather than a single password, two-factor authentication requires the user to enter two pieces of information – their password and a changing value which is either sent by the website to their mobile phone, or generated by a companion application on the user’s own computer.
Multifactor authentication goes one step further and allows biometric methods as well like :
1. A facial ID
2. A fingerprint
Since every fingerprint and facial features are different even with twins it is a more sophisticated and “high tech” way of proving who you are
