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Use MFA to frustrate hackers

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) aka two factor authentication (2FA)

Did you know that over 99% of account hacks could have been prevented by using multi-factor authentication (MFA)? Using MFA makes it significantly harder for criminals to access your online accounts. It is a security measure that requires anyone logging into an account to navigate a two-step process to prove their identity. Unfortunately, many people are not familiar with MFA.

Here’s how it works. When you log into your account, the first step is entering your username or email address, along with your password or passphrase. With MFA activated, the second step is to provide an extra way of proving that you are you, like entering a PIN code or a code that has been texted or emailed to your mobile device or authenticator app. Since hackers almost never have access to your mobile device or authentication method, it can prevent them from gaining access to your account.

Many platforms, such as Meta Facebook, Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer MFA to help users protect access to their accounts. It prevents a cybercriminal from signing in to your account with just your password. It is a minor inconvenience when logging into your account, as it requires an extra step, but multi-factor authentication greatly increases the security of your account.

One word of advice. Pay attention to email or text messages asking if you are trying to sign into your account when you are not. Hackers like to target their victims and catch them off guard, often at night. If you receive a series of prompts on your phone asking if it was you signing into a device that is not recognized, and it was not you, do not click on “yes” to stop the prompts. Hackers are hoping to wear you down. Clicking “yes” might stop the prompts but it also gives the hackers the “keys to the kingdom” so to speak, allowing them to lock you out of your own account. You should also change your password for the account ASAP. Also, if you reused that password, make sure to change it for every other account that uses it (this is why every password should be unique).

Contact Esser Consulting, LLC for help with setting up and using multi-factor authentication.

Scammer has my password, now what?

Imagine receiving an email from your own email address, telling you that you have been hacked, and to prove it, the sender includes your password in the email? They also say that they have been watching you through your webcam, and tracking your online web-surfing. Having thoroughly scared you, the scammer then threatens to release evidence of you visiting adult websites unless you pay a ransom, usually in Bitcoin. This happened to a customer of mine recently.

Variations of this scam have been around for several years. Chances are that you were not hacked. Rather, your email address and password information are included in one or more of the thousands of data breaches that have occurred, and your information is being sold on the dark web.  Billions of accounts have been compromised in data breaches, so the odds are pretty good that your data is included. To make it more convincing, the scammer then spoofed your email address.

So, what should you do? First, do not pay or contact the scammer. Next, run several virus and malware scans on all of your devices to check for known viruses and malware. Then, and possibly most importantly, change all of your passwords so that you have unique passwords on all of your accounts. But how do you remember all of those different passwords? I recommend using a password manager program.

A password manager can help you create and store more complicated passwords. There are numerous password manager programs available. Most have you remember one password, then keep the others locked away in a password “vault”. Some keep the password “vault” file on your device locally, others are cloud based which allows them to be used on multiple devices. 

I also recommend that you visit have i been pwned to see if your email addresses have been involved in any breaches.  You can sign up to be notified of any future breaches involving your email address.

#BeCyberSmart   #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth  #PasswordManager  #UseUniquePasswords   #EmailScam   #haveibeenpwned

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Esser Consulting, LLC
Curt Esser

2410 S. Kerry Lane
Appleton, WI 54915-1665

(920) 735-1806
cesser@esserconsulting.com

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