The use of personal resources for this purpose makes it necessary to take extreme precautions to keep them safe and comply with data protection laws.
To minimize exposure to cyber-attacks, we recommend the use of two-factor authentication. In a previous article, called MasterBase® increases access security with 2-factor authenticationWe explain in detail what it is and why it is important to use it.
Our objective now is to complement this article by highlighting its importance and use in teleworking, a modality that today is essential in many organizations affected by the pandemic and, going further, for the new way of working that is coming or that for many is already a reality.
As we said, two-factor authentication (2FA) is something that will increase the security of your accounts and offer you an additional layer of protection in addition to passwords. It is difficult for cybercriminals to obtain the second factor of authentication, which drastically reduces their chances of success.
2FA is essential for:
- Your work or personal email address
- Your cloud storage accounts (Google Drive, Dropbox)
- Online Banking
- Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Communication applications (Slack, Skype)
- Online shopping (PayPal, Amazon)
- And even for your password management applications.
Here you can find some mobile applications that you can use for two-factor authentication: Google Authenticator (available for Android, iOS, Blackberry). Authy (for Android, iOS, but also available as a desktop app and browser extension). Microsoft Authenticator for IOS and for Android.
Whichever one you choose, make sure it has a strong security background, since it must be installed on your phone, which we know can be more exposed to attacks and, should the latter occur, it would defeat your efforts to strengthen the security of other devices.
It is worth noting that spam SMS messages may arrive on your mobile. Many users have been duped by these messages and have ended up willingly compromising their own accounts, so you'll need to be vigilant if you use it, so you should be on your guard. Of course, a reputable mobile security solution can help if you are concerned about security issues.
The physical token is another option, it is something like a key fob, USB security key or similar, which can be used to generate one-time passwords on each login, very secure and almost impossible to crack. This means that at login time you will need, as usual, a password, but also the code generated by your device; which is often small enough to get lost in a trouser pocket, so some people hang them on their key ring.
There is also Biometrics, very hard to fool, as it is a fingerprint, facial or retina reader. Many devices today come with built-in biometric readers that can capture your face by taking a picture with your phone or scan your fingerprint, so it's not hard to implement this on a device you probably already have. On the other hand, while you can reset a password, in the event that they compromise a provider, it will be very difficult to be able to erase your face.
In the event of a security breach, two-factor authentication can offer additional benefits. If you receive a notification that your password has been compromised, it is very likely that they do not have the key that provides two-factor authentication.
In this regard, if two-factor authentication were properly implemented, the number of successful cyberattacks should drop considerably.
We recommend its use in order to enjoy the technology in a safer way. And even more we recommend to use it today on our platform, in the article The installation procedure is described in detail in the above-mentioned article.
