Do you use email for your business, either on a computer, tablet or mobile device? If so, how secure is your email system? A simple way to help improve the security of your accounts is to turn on two factor authentication. Two factor authentication otherwise known as 2fa, two-step verification or multi-factor authentication was designed to help stop cyber criminals from accessing your accounts even if they obtain your passwords.
Two-factor authentication (2fa) means that two different types of information are required before access will be permitted to allow access to an account or computer system.
In Verizon’s 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, it was revealed that 81% of account breaches could have been cause by passwords being leaked. Breaches like this can significantly reduced by embracing two factor authentication as a second form of secure information has to be inputted, before access can be gained. Many systems already use 2fa already, most online banking providers do this automatically and you are required to provide more information to prove your identity, such as:
a PIN, a password, or code
Biometrics - a fingerprint or face ID
You may have used two factor authentication when answering security questions or knowledge-based authentication to access your accounts or computer systems. Common questions often include:
What is your mother’s maiden name?
What was the city you were born?
Name of your first pet?
What make was your first car?
To help improve your business’s cyber resilience, there are some simple steps you can take to protect systems you use every day. Below are instructions on how to turn on 2FA for the most common email systems and for four popular social media channels. Turn on 2FA for email:
Turn on 2FA for social media:
With 43% of all cyber attacks targeted at small businesses, the threat to businesses from cybercrime is real and growing. As a small or micro business, improving your cyber resilience is invaluable, both from the point of view of protecting your own business but also to protect the organisations you may supply as part of their supply chain.
Following basic cyber hygiene steps like turning on two-factor authentication can be the difference in preventing cyber criminals from accessing sensitive information about your business.
Businesses in the South West can sign up for a free Core Membership online and receive a welcome pack full of practical resources and tools that will help you identify your risks and vulnerabilities and the steps you can take to increase your levels of protection. Through your membership, you will also get regular updates on new threats, designed to help you stay safer.
Sign up for membership at www.swcrc.co.uk/membership.