In this third installment of password security posts, I'll be talking about using MFA, why you need to become familiar with it and how it will secure your most important personal information.
MFA stands for Multi-factor authentication. This means there is more than one way to authorize that the person getting into the account is in fact the person who needs to have access. This relies on three specific things:
Image from harvard.edu cybersecurity website
* Something you know
* Something you have
* Something you are
Something you know - This is the knowledge you have of your password. This can also be answers to those security questions asking about the town you were born in or your favorite pet's name from childhood.
Something you have - This is a device or a token/fob that you carry with you. It could be a personal device, a work device, or a keychain/card that you pull out of your wallet or pocket. Some high security places require a token that shows a six digit number every thirty seconds to a minute for the user to enter in order to get access in conjunction with the password.
Something you are - This is face ID, fingerprint scans, eye scans, or palm/handprint scans. This could also be voice activation in some cases as well.
When used together, this greatly reduces the chances that the user's identity or information can be used to gain access to personal data. Things such as the bank account, email, health information, and more can be secured by activated the 2FA or MFA options. (2FA is simply two of the ways above to gain access. Usually a password and a text code)
You can decide what works best for you based on your comfort level and knowledge base. Most people like to activate MFA with something they know and something they are. This means they simply press their thumb print onto their phone screen to gain access after entering their password and they don't have to switch between apps.
Good MFA apps are ones like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Authy. These create a code tied to the account you're trying to access and refresh themselves every minute. You scan a QR code or enter a website credentials into the app and it creates the code for you. These are very user friendly and have a high level of security. There's no password needed to access these accounts because they don't contain any personal or sensitive information, just a lot of numbers.
In order to activate the option for MFA on your account, you need to go into the settings of your account, select where it talks about privacy and security or passwords and look for options to enable MFA. This is different for each program so you may need to look around. Follow the prompts to activate it from there.
Right now, I encourage you to enable MFA on your personal email, bank accounts, financial programs, and health/medical log ins. Use the same authenticator for each program and it will be easier for you to log in by only having to find one app!
MFA shouldn't be difficult or scary, it should be like wearing the seatbelt in the car: you have lots of ways that keep you safe (solid doors, strong roof, etc) but the seatbelt adds another layer of safety for you personally. Just click and go!
