Why Is 2-Factor Authentication Important?

Hacking is becoming more common as major websites have had data leaks containing emails, passwords, and other sensitive information. This kind of hacking has made international headlines and brought the issue of cyber security and internet safety to the forefront.

Any computer that gets infected and that contains your personal information can make the victim of identity theft. The most serious cases of hacking will include hackers getting far more than just your email and password. Oftentimes, such information and data security breaches will include hackers getting access to even more of your sensitive information such as your credit card or bank account numbers or even your address, phone number, and social security number.

Many people use passwords to keep the bad guys out of their information and out of their accounts, however, sadly, in 2018, that’s not always enough of a protective barrier to keep your sensitive information safe. Today’s most sophisticated hackers have learned how to use methods like phishing and pharming to test billions of password combinations till they find yours. Once they do that, all of the sensitive information contained inside is theirs for the taking!

Many internet users are even easier targets as they likely use the same password for multiple accounts on multiple websites because it makes their information easier to remember. If you do that, once a hacker gets access to one site, they have access to all of the sites with the same username and password combination, which can compromise more of your personal information that would otherwise be compromised if you used different combinations for each site.  

To combat this increasing issue of hackers getting into people’s information, many websites are taking to using what is called “2-factor authentication” which is essentially a system that double-checks a person’s identity to make sure they are the person who should be accessing the account before letting them in. This 2-factor authentication can be required every time a person logs in or if they are logging in from a new device, for example.

Many websites that you already use have this 2-factor authentication option. Sites like Facebook and Gmail are great examples of sites that give users this option. Users simply have to use their settings to request 2-factor authentication as an option. One example of 2-factor authentication is entering a code that you are texted or emailed to access your account if you forget a password or want to change a password. This is confirming you are who you claim you are, so you have already engaged in a 2-factor authentication process.

This 2-factor authentication is even more crucial when protecting personal information such as your banking information or personal email where further personal information may be attainable. It’s unfortunate that we live in a world where people try to take other people’s information but it is happening more and more often these days. Protecting your information should be your number one priority and 2-factor authentication is the latest way to do just that.

For more information about 2-factor authentication and how you can protect your personal information please feel free to contact us at the AE Technology Group for further assistance.

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