Why & How you Should “Lock Down your Login”
As we observe the third week of the Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Department of Homeland Security has focused on the phrase “Lock Down your Login.” This catchphrase expresses the importance of strengthening your authentication – such as user names and passwords, and the requirements needed to log into your cyber accounts. The most important authentications to strengthen are your most vulnerable accounts – banking accounts, email accounts, and social media accounts. These are the most vulnerable because they are the most attractive to the prying eyes of cyber criminals.
“Locking down your login” can be done in 3 simple ways:
- Security key
This method is one of the simplest ways to strengthen your authentication. It can be done by requiring a USB “key” to be plugged into your system’s port in addition to your user name and password. Without this physical “key” an intruder would not be able to access your account.
2. One-time login
This method requires a one-time password or code that will allow you to log in. This code is provided by a third-party app or mode such as a text, an email, or a phone call. It ensures extra security since it will typically expire within a set amount of time, and can only be used one time.
3. Biometrics
This method is a more comprehensive level of strengthening your authentication, but it is one of the most effective methods. At a basic functional level, it uses a thumbprint or immediate photo identification, typically using the built-in camera on your device or desktop to confirm your identity.
Many online services, including websites and apps now offer the ability to connect to your accounts and add these additional security methods, and other innovative protection techniques to strengthen your authentication.
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has published specific instructions here that explain how to protect the most common and most vulnerable accounts, such as Google mail, iCloud, Outlook, Dropbox, Twitter, Amazon, Bitcoin, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Fidelity, and many others. This will allow you to discover how to most effectively “Lock Down your Logins” and defend yourself against cyber-attacks.
Read more at: https://www.lockdownyourlogin.com/
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