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Global Incident: Tech History - What in the blazes is 2FA / Two Factor Authentification?

Tech History - What in the blazes is 2FA / Two Factor Authentification?

... you might be asking yourself. It's been around for a while but that doesn't mean someone has ever explained why you run around every morning, looking for your phone to open the Microsoft authenticator app or have to flip back and forth from SMS to app just to log into Amazon (cause the copy from text never really works, does it?).

2FA is sort of explained in the name. It's a second layer of security on top of a passcode that verifies you are you. It was first conceptualised in the 1980's by RSA Security, who created hardware tokens - actual physical fobs (which feels very like a spy novel).  It's on everything. Netflix, Amazon, Outlook - it's hard to get on anything without it. It's a pain, and we know it. However, it is one of the biggest steps you can take to protect yourself from a data breach. Wherever possible, we recommend enabling two factor authentication on all accounts to significantly enhance security.

Should any of your passwords be leaked in any form of data breach, cyber criminals can quickly guess or exploit it with very little effort, even targeting other accounts under your name or email address. Multi-factor authentication uses either a text or email based service with OTP (one-time passcodes) or authentication through an existing or new app. It's simple to set up and gives you an added level of security beyond passwords.

 

Choosing CDS for comprehensive Cyber Security support ensures quick identification of any potential cyber security weaknesses in your organisation and effective solutions to strengthen your protection. We are known for our proactive approach, so we are not only there to help in the event of a breach, but most importantly, our preventative measures limit incidents in the first place, keeping your IT in good health. Reach out to learn more about any of our services.

 

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