Why You Should Use Two-Factor Authentication to Secure Your Online Accounts

With the increase in online security breaches and data theft, it’s more important than ever to protect your online accounts with strong passwords and additional security measures. 

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one such measure that can significantly improve your cyber security – as a digital authentication method, a user is only granted access to a website, application or network when providing two different elements of authentication. 

Rather than simply just needing a password to gain access to a digital entity as you may have done in the past, many sites or apps now require a supplement to this, in the form of a one time passcode or email verification, or biometric confirmation such as facial recognition or a fingerprint. 

All sounds great, right? Here’s some more reasons as to why you should use always have 2FA set up on your devices, website and networks to make sure they’re as secure as possible:

Two-factor Authentication Provides an Extra Layer of Security

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a second form of authentication in addition to your password, so this means that even if your password is compromised, a hacker would still need to have access to your second factor to gain access to your account. This is particularly important when accessing sensitive information such as banking or healthcare apps. 

It Reduces the Risk of Data Breaches

Data breaches can happen to anyone, regardless of how strong your password is. When a company experiences a data breach, your password and other personal information may be exposed, with far reaching implications. With two-factor authentication, a hacker would need to have access to both your password and your second factor to gain access to your account, reducing the risk of data breaches and of your personal information being compromised. 

2FA Protects Against Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are a common way that hackers try to steal login credentials. With two-factor authentication, even if you fall for a phishing scam and enter your password on a fake login page, the hacker would still need your second factor to gain access to your account, reducing the chances of their success significantly.

It’s Easy to Set Up

Setting up 2FA is usually a simple process that takes just a few minutes. Most online services and platforms offer two-factor authentication as an option, and you can typically set it up by going to your account settings and following the step-by-step instructions. 

You can also use a third-party authenticator to enable it – this software will generate a random code which then expires within a set timeframe and will need to be recreated if it has not been submitted before it times out. This is perfect for applications where multiple users are accessing it and you want to ensure that only the designated users are doing so. 

Two-factor Authentication is Widely Supported

Two-factor authentication is widely supported by many online services, including email providers, social media platforms, and financial institutions. This means that you can use two-factor authentication to secure most of your online accounts and make sure you’re not leaving them vulnerable to attack. 

ICT Solutions Can Help

If you or your company would like to know more about two-factor authentication or need support getting it set up, the team here at ICT Solutions can help. 

It’s a simple yet essential security measure which could save you a lot of time, effort and money in the future, if your cyber security was ever to be compromised. 

We offer various cyber security services to help businesses across the UK defend themselves from the evolving threats that cyber attacks can pose – get in touch with us today for more details of how we can help.