If you want to protect yourself against cyber attacks, having a strong password is definitely the first port of call. However, adding multi-factor authentication (MFA) also referred to as two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to add an additional layer of security to your accounts.
What is a strong password?
The advice on what makes a strong password changes all the time, but there are a few things that will always remain:
- The longer the better – we suggest a minimum of 12 characters
- Combination of letters, numbers and special characters
- Use dictionary words if you need to remember it or use a password manager if using random characters
What to avoid
If you’re looking for a password you’ll remember, then it can be common to use family birthdays, pet names or a favourite band perhaps, but with social media, this information isn’t always private anymore. Social Engineering is another tactic cyber criminals use which involves combing social media for personal information. Remember those Facebook quizzes asking for your favourite things? Without realising, people were giving away information that is commonly used as passwords. If you want to use real words then think of something random and unrelated to you!
MFA – An additional layer of security
If you really want to bolster your IT security we suggest using Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). If you’re not familiar with MFA, having MFA set up means you have to provide additional authorisation, on top of a password to access your personal information. MFA works by sending a code, pin or fingerprint request to another device or application to what you’re trying to access. This means a cyber criminal can’t get in by having your password alone.
MFA apps
You can set up MFA to send codes to an email address or phone number but there are also a number of authenticator apps you can download. These apps allow you to generate authentication codes for all of your applications in one place.
We recommend DUO to our clients but there’s also similar authenticator apps available from Microsoft, Apple and Google.
MFA for social media
Did you know you can set up MFA(2FA) for your social media accounts? Give yourself that extra layer of security for your favourite social media, find out how below…
- Twitter: https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/two-factor-authentication
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/148233965247823
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1381088/turn-two-step-verification-on-and-off
- Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/566810106808145
Improve your security with MFA
If you’re looking for a way to enhance your security relatively simply then we recommend setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA) anywhere you can. If your business doesn’t have MFA set up and want to find out more then please get in touch.