Incidents of cyber crime increased across the globe over the past few months as countries underwent various stages of lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus cases.
With many offices remaining closed during lockdown, people are working from home and having to depend on unfamiliar computer systems without the right security in place, making this group a target for such attacks. However, hackers haven’t only been targeting laptops and desktops, but also commonly used apps like Gmail, Netflix, Whatsapp and Twitter.
Protect yourself, your data and your peace of mind by enabling two factor authentication on all your apps.
What is two factor authentication:
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is an extra security feature that protects your online accounts and passwords. This process kicks in right before entering an account, requiring information that proves that the person trying to gain access is who they say they are. Thus, only after evidence is typed into an authentication mechanism will you be able to continue forward.
The security measure can be in the form of a One Time Pin (OTP) sent via SMS that you’ll have to submit or even a push notification that needs to be accepted on your mobile first. You can also get alerts via email when someone tries logging in from a browser or mobile device that the website does not recognise. Sometimes, 2FA can be a little more advanced, and will ask for something along the lines of a biometric pattern of a fingerprint, your face or or a voice print. This is mostly used for online banking or accounts that need extra security.
How to set up 2FA
Most apps have their own guidelines for setting up 2FA:
However, not all your favourite apps will have this feature. Fortunately, there are a number of apps available that provide this service to you for free.
3 2FA apps to try:
2FA Authenticator
Free on Google Play
2FAS Authenticator is a simple and free application which generates Time-based One-time Passwords (TOTP) and PUSH authentication. It helps keep your online accounts secure on supporting TOTP websites.
Starling 2FA
Free on Google Play
The Starling 2FA app enables you to use your Android device as a token. It also works with most multi-factor authentication accounts including Facebook, Dropbox, Amazon, Gmail and thousands of others. In addition they provide secure cloud encrypted backups so you will never lose access to your tokens again.
Twilio Authy
Free on Google Play
The Authy app generates secure 2 step verification tokens on your device. It help’s you protect your account from hackers and hijackers by adding an additional layer of security. If you ever happen to lose your device and get locked out of all of your accounts, the app has secure cloud encrypted backups so you will never lose access to your tokens again. They claim to use the same algorithm banks and the NSA use to protect their information.