Multi-factor authentication cuts risk of getting hacked by 99%

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – You can lower the chances of hacking your personal internet content by 99 percent with multi-factor authentication. Phil Kirk is the Regional Director of The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He says hackers increasingly harvest credentials through phishing emails or identifying passwords reused from other systems.

MFA increases security because even if one credential is compromised, unauthorized users will be challenged to meet the second authentication requirement, largely thwarting their ability to access the targeted device, network, or database.

There are many ways you may be asked to provide a second form of authentication:

• Text Message or Email: When you log in to an account, you’ll be asked to provide a code sent to you by text message or email.
• Authenticator App: An authenticator app is an app that generates MFA login codes on your phone.
• Push Notification: Instead of using a numeric code, the service “pushes” a request to your phone to ask if it should let you in.
• FIDO Key: FIDO stands for “Fast Identity Online” and is considered the gold standard of multi-factor authentication.

For more information, visit: http://www.cisa.gov/MoreThanAPassword