Over the years we\u2019ve grown to understand the importance of passwords\u2026 especially good passwords. In fact, most web portals and platforms don\u2019t even allow us to use something simple like \u201c1234\u201d any more. Instead, we have a dictated set of characters to use, and need to add numbers or other symbols to improve their security.<\/p>\n
This begs the question; with our emails, banking, and favourite apps protected by a tough password, is two-factor authentication necessary? And if so, what is it and what makes it better? This guide should answer all your questions about two-factor authentication, including why we need it.<\/p>\n
Also known as \u201c2FA\u201d and \u201ctwo-step authentication\u201d; two-factor authentication is a necessary security measure that doubles your password protection. Think of it as an additional layer of security. With two-factor authentication you need to provide multiple pieces of information to access an account. If hackers collect one piece of information (such as a password), then they still need a second piece of information to gain access.<\/p>\n
Cyber criminals are getting smarter every day. Techniques such as \u201cpassword spraying\u201d (where a long list of the most common passwords can be applied quickly to many accounts) are still successful at cracking weak passwords. Other techniques used by hackers include:<\/p>\n
These three examples are the most common on a long list of hacking techniques. The reason they\u2019re so common is because anyone, no matter how smart and safe they are, can fall victim to them. In some cases, such as having your information lost in a large, corporate data breach, it\u2019s completely out of our control.<\/p>\n
As we mentioned, 2FA requires at least two different types of information. The types of information required depends on the organization you\u2019re creating an account with. If you were setting up a Gmail account, for example, you have three choices for supplying confirmation of identification:<\/p>\n