This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber” and focuses on the people aspect of cybersecurity. We can all do our part to keep ourselves, our families, our organization and our data safe from cyber crime.
This week’s focus is on multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds another layer of security to your login. When you log into an app or website, you use a username plus a password. When using MFA, you are creating an additional step to authenticate that you are who you say you are. MFA adds one or more authentication methods to your login. Additional methods could include:
- Something you know: like a password or PIN
- Something you have: like a smart card or token
- Something you are: biometrics including fingerprint, face recognition or voice
For example, MFA may require the user to login with a password (first factor) and then insert a smart card (second factor). If a user is not in possession of both of these items, they will not be able to log in. MFA should be implemented on any Internet system such as email. Connecting to web applications where sensitive data is stored should always use MFA. Usernames and passwords are subject to brute force attacks and can be stolen and sold by third parties. Using MFA can increase your confidence that you are using enhanced security to protect yourself and your data. #SeeYourselfinCyber